With students heading back to school, it’s a perfect opportunity to look back at one of Vernon’s lesser-known schools—Mason Street School, which first opened on 28th Street in 1904.
According to The Vernon News, the need for Mason Street School arose from a growing demand for advanced education, particularly in subjects like science, languages, and drawing, which had become compulsory for aspiring teachers. In 1901, the newspaper argued that public schools could no longer support this level of education, and efforts were underway to establish a high school in the Okanagan Valley.
In November 1901, a room in the Vernon News building, situated at the corner of 30th Avenue and 31st Street, was set aside for 15 students who had passed their high school entrance exams. This event marked the beginning of high school education in Vernon. Unlike today, high school was not mandatory and required a fee of $2.00 per month, a practice that continued until 1946, when the BC Government made high school education free and accessible to all.
The school officially opened on January 2, 1902, with all students passing their matriculation exams for McMaster University by the end of its first year. However, with the Vernon News building only accommodating 35 students, it soon became clear a larger facility was needed.
A site on 28th Street, then known as Mason Street, was selected, and by January 1904, Mason Street School was completed under the leadership of Principal Clarence Fulton. Just a few years later, in 1909, the school was vacated as a larger facility opened nearby. High school students then moved to Central (now Ecole Beairsto Elementary) School, while Mason Street School was repurposed by the YMCA.
In 1915, the high school returned to the Mason Street facility, remaining there until 1938 when Clarence Fulton Secondary School opened in Polson Park. Afterward, the building was used by the Elim Tabernacle and the Ukrainian National Federation before being demolished around 1954. Yet, its educational legacy endures, as the site is now home to St. James Catholic School.
Archives Manager, Gwyneth Evans