310:
In
September 2017, the Near North District School Board voted to close Widdifield, citing the declining youth population of North Bay and insufficient funding to maintain all three city high schools under their jurisdiction. The decision was challenged by local parents and investigated by the
318:
In
January 2018, the school board announced that WSS would close in September 2019. In September 2018, they announced that the closure would be delayed by at least one year, due to difficulties securing increased government funding for the other two local schools.
403:
551:
831:
326:, graduates went to the school one at a time to retrieve their diplomas from a table. The students and special programs were distributed to North Bay's other English public schools:
816:
658:
291:, approximately 35–65% of students were bussed in. The school's motto was "Mens Quaerens in Corpore Sano," loosely meaning "an inquiring mind in a sound body" in Latin.
684:
821:
764:
383:
Widdifield was also the home of the school board's summer youth theatre program, Theatre Out Reach On Stage, which moved to West Ferris after the closure.
836:
72:
826:
409:
524:
447:
605:
380:: Widdifield was a part of the drama festival for almost 50 years and won over 100 awards in the District, Regional and Provincial rounds.
467:
578:
370:
International
Thespian Society Festival: Numerous Widdifield productions travelled to the annual drama festival, which was held at the
841:
344:
298:
certificate program. It later obtained SHSM programs in
Construction, Environment, and Health and Wellness, as well as a fine arts
264:
138:
287:. It had a capacity of 1,164 students and the active student body generally ranged from 900 to 1,000. Because of the extensive
280:
355:
737:
371:
377:
331:
65:
552:"Near North School Board failed to follow a fair and transparent process in closing Widdifield says Ontario Ombudsman"
323:
186:
342:
The
Widdifield building has since lain dormant. In 2023, it was used as a filming location for the American movie
327:
358:
to convert the building into an athletic centre, but were struggling to gain an audience with the school board.
417:
497:
276:
710:
430:
53:
413:
442:
659:"Final graduating class of Widdifield Secondary School celebrates with drive-by graduation ceremony"
161:
112:
256:
41:
312:
579:"Forced to vote again on high school closure, North Bay school board reaffirms 2017 decision"
366:
Widdifield boasted a small theater and an extracurricular drama troupe called "The
Company".
790:
350:
182:
426:
399:
288:
810:
299:
631:
393:
252:
284:
231:
87:
74:
422:
47:
260:
220:
711:"Transition Information For Parents and Students For September 2020"
765:"Local investors' big plans for vacant Widdifield Secondary School"
606:"3:2 North Bay High School Consolidation – Programming Framework"
525:"Widdifield Secondary School slated for closure, 'It angers me'"
791:"City Council Biography - Inside City Hall - City of North Bay"
632:"Timeframe for Closure of Widdifield Secondary School Changed"
294:
Widdifield was the first school in Canada to incorporate a
638:. Near North District School board. September 10, 2018
296:
Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM)— Arts and
Culture
685:"Widdifield Farewell Stay Well Grade 12 Celebration"
322:Widdifield finally closed in June 2020. Due to the
279:, a nineteenth-century physician and member of the
226:
215:
207:
193:
178:
170:
160:
152:
144:
134:
126:
118:
108:
103:
64:
26:
21:
738:"The old Widdifield Secondary School a movie set?"
354:reported on a pair of businessmen who proposed a
832:Educational institutions disestablished in 2020
275:The school was founded in 1965 and named after
315:, but eventually reaffirmed in a 2019 revote.
8:
817:Educational institutions established in 1965
18:
468:"School Information Profile - Widdifield"
16:High school in North Bay, Ontario, Canada
459:
7:
448:List of secondary schools in Ontario
822:High schools in North Bay, Ontario
612:. Near North District School Board
504:. Near North District School Board
14:
837:2020 disestablishments in Ontario
498:"Directors October Board Report"
265:Near North District School Board
139:Near North District School Board
281:Legislative Assembly of Ontario
827:1965 establishments in Ontario
763:Hamilton-McCharles, Jennifer.
372:University of Nebraska-Lincoln
345:Everything's Going to Be Great
1:
717:. Widdifield Secondary School
691:. Widdifield Secondary School
402:, Olympic bronze medalist in
34:
378:Sears Ontario Drama Festival
332:West Ferris Secondary School
251:(WSS) was an English public
396:, former mayor of North Bay
249:Widdifield Secondary School
22:Widdifield Secondary School
858:
356:public–private partnership
348:. On February 2 2024, the
842:Former schools in Ontario
663:CTV News Northern Ontario
529:CTV News Northern Ontario
477:. Near North School Board
425:, assistant coach of the
328:Chippewa Secondary School
35:
31:
418:Canadian Football League
406:at the 1984 Summer Games
302:called Arts Nipissing.
277:Joseph Henry Widdifield
431:National Hockey League
414:Winnipeg Blue Bombers
263:. It was part of the
88:46.33522°N 79.45043°W
443:Education in Ontario
412:, head coach of the
156:Alison Herst Jackson
689:nearnorthschools.ca
636:nearnorthschools.ca
610:nearnorthschools.ca
502:nearnorthschools.ca
475:nearnorthschools.ca
197:Red and royal blue
93:46.33522; -79.45043
84: /
715:Near North Schools
257:North Bay, Ontario
374:during that time.
324:COVID-19 pandemic
313:Ontario Ombudsman
246:
245:
234:.nearnorthschools
37:320 Ski Club Road
849:
801:
800:
798:
797:
787:
781:
780:
778:
776:
769:North Bay Nugget
760:
754:
753:
751:
749:
733:
727:
726:
724:
722:
707:
701:
700:
698:
696:
681:
675:
674:
672:
670:
657:Taschner, Eric.
654:
648:
647:
645:
643:
628:
622:
621:
619:
617:
604:Girard, Carrie.
601:
595:
594:
592:
590:
574:
568:
567:
565:
563:
547:
541:
540:
538:
536:
520:
514:
513:
511:
509:
493:
487:
486:
484:
482:
472:
464:
351:North Bay Nugget
242:
239:
237:
235:
233:
203:
200:
187:French immersion
99:
98:
96:
95:
94:
89:
85:
82:
81:
80:
77:
19:
857:
856:
852:
851:
850:
848:
847:
846:
807:
806:
805:
804:
795:
793:
789:
788:
784:
774:
772:
762:
761:
757:
747:
745:
736:Dawson, Chris.
735:
734:
730:
720:
718:
709:
708:
704:
694:
692:
683:
682:
678:
668:
666:
656:
655:
651:
641:
639:
630:
629:
625:
615:
613:
603:
602:
598:
588:
586:
576:
575:
571:
561:
559:
549:
548:
544:
534:
532:
522:
521:
517:
507:
505:
496:Young, Jackie.
495:
494:
490:
480:
478:
470:
466:
465:
461:
456:
439:
427:Ottawa Senators
400:Barbara Olmsted
390:
364:
340:
308:
273:
230:
201:
198:
174:734 (2016)
92:
90:
86:
83:
78:
75:
73:
71:
70:
60:
57:
56:
50:
44:
39:
38:
17:
12:
11:
5:
855:
853:
845:
844:
839:
834:
829:
824:
819:
809:
808:
803:
802:
782:
755:
728:
702:
676:
649:
623:
596:
569:
542:
515:
488:
458:
457:
455:
452:
451:
450:
445:
438:
435:
434:
433:
420:
410:Michael O'Shea
407:
397:
389:
388:Notable alumni
386:
385:
384:
381:
375:
363:
360:
339:
336:
307:
304:
300:magnet program
272:
269:
244:
243:
228:
224:
223:
217:
213:
212:
209:
205:
204:
195:
191:
190:
180:
176:
175:
172:
168:
167:
164:
158:
157:
154:
150:
149:
148:Roslyn Bowness
146:
145:Superintendent
142:
141:
136:
132:
131:
128:
124:
123:
120:
116:
115:
110:
106:
105:
101:
100:
68:
62:
61:
58:
52:
46:
40:
36:
33:
32:
29:
28:
24:
23:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
854:
843:
840:
838:
835:
833:
830:
828:
825:
823:
820:
818:
815:
814:
812:
792:
786:
783:
770:
766:
759:
756:
743:
739:
732:
729:
716:
712:
706:
703:
690:
686:
680:
677:
664:
660:
653:
650:
637:
633:
627:
624:
611:
607:
600:
597:
584:
580:
577:White, Erik.
573:
570:
557:
553:
546:
543:
530:
526:
523:Galor, Shay.
519:
516:
503:
499:
492:
489:
476:
469:
463:
460:
453:
449:
446:
444:
441:
440:
436:
432:
428:
424:
421:
419:
415:
411:
408:
405:
404:team kayaking
401:
398:
395:
392:
391:
387:
382:
379:
376:
373:
369:
368:
367:
361:
359:
357:
353:
352:
347:
346:
337:
335:
333:
329:
325:
320:
316:
314:
305:
303:
301:
297:
292:
290:
286:
282:
278:
270:
268:
266:
262:
258:
254:
250:
241:
229:
225:
222:
218:
214:
210:
206:
196:
192:
188:
184:
181:
177:
173:
169:
165:
163:
159:
155:
151:
147:
143:
140:
137:
133:
129:
125:
121:
117:
114:
111:
107:
102:
97:
69:
67:
63:
55:
49:
43:
30:
25:
20:
794:. Retrieved
785:
773:. Retrieved
768:
758:
746:. Retrieved
741:
731:
719:. Retrieved
714:
705:
693:. Retrieved
688:
679:
667:. Retrieved
662:
652:
642:December 16,
640:. Retrieved
635:
626:
614:. Retrieved
609:
599:
587:. Retrieved
582:
572:
560:. Retrieved
555:
550:Turl, Jeff.
545:
533:. Retrieved
528:
518:
506:. Retrieved
501:
491:
479:. Retrieved
474:
462:
365:
349:
343:
341:
338:Post-closure
321:
317:
309:
295:
293:
274:
248:
247:
211:Wildcat Wade
135:School board
771:. Postmedia
744:. Bay Today
742:baytoday.ca
558:. Bay Today
556:baytoday.ca
394:Al McDonald
289:school zone
253:high school
238:/widdifield
219:Widdifield
113:High school
109:School type
104:Information
91: /
66:Coordinates
811:Categories
796:2012-07-08
665:. CTV News
585:. CBC News
531:. CTV News
454:References
285:York North
171:Enrollment
79:79°27′02″W
76:46°20′07″N
216:Team name
194:Colour(s)
153:Principal
42:North Bay
775:June 11,
748:June 30,
721:June 11,
695:June 11,
669:June 30,
616:June 11,
589:June 30,
562:June 30,
535:June 30,
508:June 11,
437:See also
423:Mike Yeo
271:Overview
221:Wildcats
179:Language
481:29 June
429:in the
416:in the
306:Closure
227:Website
189:program
185:, with
183:English
119:Founded
54:P1B 7R2
48:Ontario
27:Address
583:cbc.ca
261:Canada
208:Mascot
202:
199:
162:Grades
127:Closed
59:Canada
471:(PDF)
362:Drama
166:9-12+
777:2024
750:2023
723:2024
697:2024
671:2023
644:2018
618:2024
591:2023
564:2023
537:2023
510:2024
483:2023
330:and
283:for
130:2020
122:1965
255:in
236:.ca
232:www
813::
767:.
740:.
713:.
687:.
661:.
634:.
608:.
581:.
554:.
527:.
500:.
473:.
334:.
267:.
259:,
51:,
45:,
799:.
779:.
752:.
725:.
699:.
673:.
646:.
620:.
593:.
566:.
539:.
512:.
485:.
240:/
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.