Sir James Dunn Collegiate and Vocational School (SJD, "The Dunn") was a high school located on Wellington St. in

Sault Ste. Marie Sault Ste. Marie is a cross-border region of Canada and the United States located on St. Marys River, which drains Lake Superior into Lake Huron. Founded as a single settlement in 1668, Sault Ste. Marie was divided in 1817 by the establishment of ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

. Adjacent to

Algoma University Algoma University, commonly shortened to Algoma U or Algoma, is a public university with its main campus located in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. With a particular focus on the needs of Northern Ontario, Algoma U is a teaching-focused and s ...

, with Anna McCrea Elementary School in between them, this school was founded in and named after the late Canadian financier and industrialist, James Hamet Dunn. Sir James Dunn and Anna McCrea schools were created on the lands of the former

Shingwauk Indian Residential School Shingwauk Indian Residential School was a Canadian residential school system, Canadian residential school for First Nations in Canada, First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children that operated in Canada between 1873 and 1970 in Sault Ste. Marie, Onta ...

, during a period of Indigenous educational integration.

Recognitions

Sir James Dunn Collegiate & Vocational School was often recognized in its community for its leading music, arts, and athletics programs, having won many local sports championships and arts and music competitions. The school mascot, the Eagle, represents its many sports teams and clubs. In Fall , SJD and Bawating Collegiate and Vocational School were combined at the SJD location for one year, to form the temporary new high school "Superior Heights". Then, in Fall 2011 a newer, larger school was opened on the old Bawating site, called Superior Heights Collegiate and Vocational School. The Sir James Dunn site was demolished in 2016. In 2022, the property is now a field, with little to no evidence of the SJD and it’s storied past. It is expected that as

continues to expand, this space will eventually become part of the university campus, which would be bordered by Wellington Street East on the north side of the property. The 2016 film The Void was filmed in the Sault, specifically on location at the Dunn before its demise.

Activities

Dunnplugged was a concert performed by students in the school theatre during lunch hour. Performances range from bands to instrumentalists to acoustic performances. The Dunnplugged performance proceeds have allowed the school to record full CDs with original music written by students. Notable bands from Dunnplugged's past include The Chuck Herriman Experience The Tenagens, Fabio, Brain Tuel, Kalle Mattson, Cookies for Breakfast, Lankee, Caddy Street Avenue, Renderware, as well as the

Kiss A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...

tribute band "Creatures of the Night."

Notable alumni

* Dr. Roberta Bondar, the first Canadian female astronaut and the first neurologist in space *

Wayne Gretzky Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...

, Canadian professional hockey player and coach * Treble Charger band, formed at Sir James Dunn by students Greig Nori, Bill Priddle, Rosie Martin, and Richard Mulligan

References

High schools in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario 1957 establishments in Ontario Educational institutions established in 1957 2010 disestablishments in Ontario Educational institutions disestablished in 2010 Buildings and structures demolished in 2016 Demolished buildings and structures in Ontario {{Ontario-school-stub Former schools in Ontario