Citadel High School (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
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Citadel High School is a high school in
Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and most populous municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the most populous municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of 2024, it is estimated that the population of the H ...
, Canada. The school opened in September 2007 on the site of the former Bell Road Campus of the
Nova Scotia Community College Nova Scotia Community College or NSCC is a Canadian community college serving the province of Nova Scotia through a network of 14 campuses and three community learning centres. The college delivers over 130 programs in five academic schools: Acc ...
. Its location bordering Bell Road, Trollope Street, and Ahern Avenue is adjacent to the
Halifax Common The Halifax Common, in local popular usage often referred to as the Commons, is a Canadian urban park in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is Canada’s oldest urban park. History The Halifax Common was originally a lightly forested swampy area which fo ...
and immediately west of Citadel Hill, a National Historic Site from which the school derives its name. Citadel High School was formed from a merger of two older schools: Queen Elizabeth High School and Saint Patrick's High School (one of which was traditionally a public school, while the other was a Catholic school), opened in 1942 and 1954 respectively.


History

The new school was initially announced by the Province of Nova Scotia on 12 June 2003. Designed to replace Queen Elizabeth High School and St. Patrick's High School, the school would be located on the site of the Halifax campus of the
Nova Scotia Community College Nova Scotia Community College or NSCC is a Canadian community college serving the province of Nova Scotia through a network of 14 campuses and three community learning centres. The college delivers over 130 programs in five academic schools: Acc ...
, which would subsequently be relocated to a new facility on the Dartmouth waterfront. On 31 March 2005, the
Halifax Regional School Board The Halifax Regional Centre for Education (formerly the Halifax Regional School Board) is the public school district responsible for 136 elementary, junior high, and high schools located in the Halifax Regional Municipality. The current Regional E ...
announced the new name of the school, "Citadel", which was selected in a vote among other suggestions including "Halifax Central", "Willow Tree" (for the nearby traffic interchange of the same name), "Patrician Elizabethan", "Ahern Bell", "Gardens North", "Peninsula", "Garrison", as well as numerous famous Haligonians including
Vince Coleman Vince Coleman may refer to: *Vince Coleman (baseball) Vincent Maurice Coleman (born September 22, 1961) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) player, best known for his years with the St. Louis Cardinals. Primarily a left fielder, ...
,
Anna Leonowens Anna Harriette Leonowens (born Ann Hariett Emma Edwards; 5 November 1831 – 19 January 1915) was an Anglo-Indian or Indian-born British travel writer, educator, and social activist. She became well known with the publication of her memoirs, ...
,
Robert Stanfield Robert Lorne Stanfield (April 11, 1914 – December 16, 2003) was a Canadian politician who served as the 17th premier of Nova Scotia from 1956 to 1967 and the leader of the Official Opposition and leader of the Progressive Conservative ...
,
Portia White Portia May White (June 24, 1911February 13, 1968) was a Canadian contralto, known for becoming the first Black Canadian concert singer to achieve international fame. Growing up as part of her father's church choir in Halifax, Nova Scotia, White ...
,
Samuel Cunard Sir Samuel Cunard, 1st Baronet (21 November 1787 – 28 April 1865), was a British-Canadian shipping magnate, born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, who founded the Cunard Line, establishing the first scheduled steamship connection with North America. ...
, Robert McCall,
Joseph Howe Joseph Howe (December 13, 1804 – June 1, 1873) was a Nova Scotian journalist, politician, public servant, and poet. Howe is often ranked as one of Nova Scotia's most admired politicians and his considerable skills as a journalist and writer h ...
,
Edward Cornwallis Edward Cornwallis ( – 14 January 1776) was a British career military officer and member of the aristocratic Cornwallis family, who reached the rank of Lieutenant General. After Cornwallis fought in Scotland, putting down the Jacobite r ...
, Richard Bulkeley, and
Alexander Graham Bell Alexander Graham Bell (; born Alexander Bell; March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) was a Scottish-born Canadian Americans, Canadian-American inventor, scientist, and engineer who is credited with patenting the first practical telephone. He als ...
. Construction began in the Spring of 2006, following the destruction of the old community college. The school began operation in September 2007, and was officially opened by Premier
Rodney MacDonald Rodney Joseph MacDonald (born January 2, 1972) is a Canadian politician, educator and musician who served as the 26th premier of Nova Scotia from 2006 to 2009 and as MLA for the riding of Inverness (provincial electoral district), Inverness in ...
and Minister of Education
Karen Casey Karen Lynn Casey (born April 24, 1947) is a Canadian politician, who represented the electoral district of Colchester North in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, first as a Progressive Conservative (2006 to 2011), and then as member of the L ...
in November of that year. The building was designed by the
architectural Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...
firm of Fowler, Bauld & Mitchell, who won a design competition, and built by Pomerleau Construction. The school contains two gymnasiums, one of which is located in the
community centre A community centre, community center, or community hall is a public location where members of a community gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may be open for the whole community or for a sp ...
section of the school, operated by the municipal recreation department. The community centre was incorporated into the project because the original school proposal did not include a second gymnasium (nor an auditorium), much to the concern of community members. The HRSB and the HRM recreation department entered into a partnership so that the two entities could share facilities: the school got its second gymnasium and the community centre has access to school classrooms on evenings and weekends. Aside from the gym, the community centre also contains dedicated activity rooms. During the 2011 Canada Games, Citadel High served a competition venue for
wheelchair basketball Wheelchair basketball is a style of basketball played using a sports wheelchair. The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) is the governing body for this sport. It is recognized by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) as ...
and table tennis. The newly opened Spatz Theatre was also used for the National Artist Program Gala.


Academics

The new school offers courses for the
International Baccalaureate The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), more commonly known as the International Baccalaureate (IB), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the I ...
program adding to the schools in the Halifax area that offer the IB program. Other schools in the Halifax area with the IB program are
Halifax West High School Halifax West High School is a Canadian public high school located in the Lacewood neighbourhood in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. Encompassing grades 10 through 12, Halifax West High School offers a variety of courses in both ...
,
Halifax Grammar School The Halifax Grammar School (HGS) is a private, educational day school in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is located in south-end Halifax, near Saint Mary's University. Since 2016, the Head of School is Steven Laffoley. Admission The schoo ...
, and
Prince Andrew High School Woodlawn High School (formerly Prince Andrew High School) is a Canadian public school, in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. It is operated by the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE) (formerly the Halifax Regional School Board) and is an Internat ...
. QEH and St. Pat's offered Pre-IB courses in 2006–2007 to Grade 10 students preparing for the IB program at Citadel High. Continuing in the tradition of the former St. Pat's, Citadel offers
French immersion French immersion is a form of bilingual education in which students who do not speak French as a first language will receive instruction in French. In most French- immersion schools, students will learn to speak French and learn most subjects ...
courses in many subjects, and through meeting certain credit requirements students may obtain the provincial French Immersion Certificate at graduation. Uniquely, the school also promotes Nova Scotian Gaelic language studies through several courses as well as a student society called ''An Dùn'' ("the fort", in reference to the school's name). Events and concerts are held regularly. This program was introduced with help from the
Department of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
amidst a renewed interest in Gaelic culture in Nova Scotia.


Student life


Athletics

The school maintains opportunities for students to participate in basketball, soccer, football, cross country, volleyball, hockey, skiing, snowboarding, field hockey, badminton, rugby, baseball, softball, and track and field. The two large gymnasiums at the school are complemented by outdoor basketball courts and the numerous other sports facilities at the
Halifax Common The Halifax Common, in local popular usage often referred to as the Commons, is a Canadian urban park in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is Canada’s oldest urban park. History The Halifax Common was originally a lightly forested swampy area which fo ...
across the street. The girls' basketball team made national headlines in March 2014 after winning their 100th consecutive game. The milestone was met in a game against Horton High School, whom they beat 59 to 50.


Musical productions

* 2025 - ''Footloose'' * 2024 - ''Mamma Mia'' * 2020 – ''Beauty and the Beast'' * 2019 – ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' * 2018 – ''The Drowsy Chaperone'' * 2016 – ''Fiddler on the Roof'' * 2015 – ''Fame'' * 2014 – ''Chicago'' * 2013 – ''Urinetown'' * 2012 – ''How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying'' * 2011 – ''Les Miserables'' * 2010 – ''Cabaret'' * 2009 – ''The Music Man'' * 2008 – ''West Side Story''


Student government

The student body of Citadel is managed by the Citadel High Students' Council.


Facilities

The school contains over 60 teaching spaces: classrooms, laboratories for biology, physics, and chemistry, computer labs, a
woodworking Woodworking is the skill of making items from wood, and includes cabinetry, furniture making, wood carving, joinery, carpentry, and woodturning. History Along with stone, clay and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked b ...
lab, family studies kitchen and sewing facilities, two art rooms, and a drama room adjoining the newly opened auditorium, the Spatz Theatre. The school is fully accessible, incorporating an elevator that was formerly installed at St. Pat's. Fire safety features include ceiling-mounted strobe lights and multiple stairwell areas of refuge on each floor that isolate themselves as fireproof doors close automatically during a fire and may only be opened from one direction. The new school includes the Wilson's Gymnasium, named after the Wilson Fuel Co. which made a large donation towards the completion of the school theatre."Major Gift Donors". Citadel High Legacy Campaign. Retrieved 18 February 2010 . The second gymnasium, the Bob Douglas Community Gymnasium, is named after a former teacher and coach at the two predecessor high schools as well as a 1994 inductee to the
Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame The Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame was established on November 3, 1964, by John E. Ahern to honour outstanding athletes, teams and sport builders in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, ...
. The motion to name the gym in his honour was spearheaded by two former students. Douglas died in 2008. The cafeteria is called the
Portia White Portia May White (June 24, 1911February 13, 1968) was a Canadian contralto, known for becoming the first Black Canadian concert singer to achieve international fame. Growing up as part of her father's church choir in Halifax, Nova Scotia, White ...
Atrium, named after a Nova Scotian singer who achieved international fame and performed for
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
, was featured on a postage stamp, and is the namesake of the
Portia White Prize The Portia White Prize is the largest prize of its type awarded by the Province of Nova Scotia and is named for Portia White, a Nova Scotian artist who rose through adversity to achieve international acclaim as a classical singer on the stages of ...
, awarded to established artists within the province. It is an airy, glass-clad structure that also serves as the entrance to the auditorium. It is topped by a
green roof A green roof or living roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. It may also include additional layers such as a root barrier and drainage ...
, visible from Citadel Hill. The school library is named after the
Kinsmen A kinsman is a male relative (see kinship). The term kinsman (or plural kinsmen) may also refer to: Places in the United States * Kinsman, Illinois *Kinsman, Ohio *Kinsman Township, Trumbull County, Ohio * Kinsman Mountain, in the White Mountains ...
, who also made a large donation towards the completion of the school auditorium. In 2007, it contained about 10,000 books as well as 15 computers available to students. A shell was built at the time of construction for the roughed-in auditorium, which was completed in early 2011. The theatre was named the Spatz Theatre after the Spatz family, who donated money toward its completion. It was first used for the National Artist Program Gala as a part of the 2011 Canada Games. Built-in furniture, cabinetry, wall paneling, and much of the other custom interior finishing was designed by Chandlers Millwork of
Charlottetown Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County, Prince Edward Island, Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlott ...
and, in line with the school's
LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a Green building certification systems, green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating ...
certification, does not contain urea formaldehyde, commonly used in wood products."LEED Fast Facts". Citadel High School. Retrieved 18 February 2010 . Tables and chairs were furnished by Ven-Rez Products of Shelburne.


Other features


Architectural vestiges

Citadel High School incorporates some architectural elements of the two high schools and the former community college. Six
bas-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...
sandstone carvings, which used to be located at the entrances of QEH, were installed in the new cafeteria. The carvings depict school-related activities such as science, sports, drama, and history. The new school also features four new sandstone carvings which were done by students of Citadel. Sandstone banding integrated into the brickwork of the new school was salvaged from the facade of St. Pat's, which was removed earlier as the anchoring for the cladding had deteriorated and became a safety hazard. Bleacher seating from the gymnasium at St. Pat's was refinished to accommodate an additional 300 spectators in the new gymnasium. However, the old bleachers were removed in 2019 and will be replaced. Approximately 3500 glass blocks salvaged from the former community college has become part of the wall in the gymnasium and the original wooden main entry, which includes beveled glass, has become the entrance of the new school's library.


Environmental sustainability

The school is
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a Green building certification systems, green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating ...
(LEED) certified. This "green building" rating system emphasizes sensible land-use, energy efficiency, and comfort. Examples of LEED elements in the project include the field sod roof of the cafeteria (a
green roof A green roof or living roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. It may also include additional layers such as a root barrier and drainage ...
), collected rainwater used for flushing toilets, waterless urinals, extensive use of construction materials with recycled content, use of
Low-E Low emissivity (low ''e'' or low thermal emissivity) refers to a surface condition that emits low levels of radiant thermal (heat) energy. All materials absorb, reflect, and emit radiant energy according to Planck's law but here, the primary con ...
glazing and a reflective white
ThermoPlastic Olefin Thermoplastic olefin, thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), or olefinic thermoplastic elastomers refer to polymer/filler blends usually consisting of some fraction of a thermoplastic, an elastomer or rubber, and usually a filler. Outdoor applications ...
roof membrane. Low-emitting materials were used in interior fittings and furniture to improve indoor air quality.


Artworks

A tall stainless steel tree, a sculpture by Dartmouth artist Dawn MacNutt, was installed in the main foyer in early 2008. Entitled ''Together We Stand'', it is suspended in the three-storey atrium at the axis of the building and is made of steel wiring with leaves of aluminized polyester woven in Switzerland. Works of similar construction by the same artist can be found at
Alderney Landing Alderney Landing is a convention centre, art gallery, market, events plaza and theatre facility in Downtown Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. It was opened in May 1999. The theatre hosts many concerts, conventions and other events, and is the home of Halif ...
. The piece was originally located in the lobby of the Infirmary building at the nearby
Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, is a large teaching hospital and Level 1 Trauma Centre affiliated with Dalhousie University. The QEII cares for adult patients. Pediatric patients within the region are c ...
until renovations there necessitated its donation to the school. The walls along the school corridors are lined with a single band of porcelain square tiles, each featuring a small drawing done in raised paint, by students of St. Pat's and QEH during the 2006–2007 school year.


Notable people

*
Ben Proudfoot Ben Proudfoot (born October 29, 1990) is a Canadian documentary filmmaker and entrepreneur. He has won two Academy Awards, the first ever awarded to The New York Times and the LA Times. Proudfoot is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Brea ...
(2008) – Academy Award winning director * Lindell Smith (2008) – Halifax regional councillor for District 8 * Wade Smith (school principal) – educator and coach *
Ellie Black Elsabeth Ann Black (born September 8, 1995) is a Canadian artistic gymnast. She is a four-time Olympian, having represented her country at the 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024 Olympic games. She is the 2017 World all-around silver medallist, makin ...
(2008) - gymnast * Jordyn Ewing (2021) - NCAA Division 1 gymnast * Isaac Arnold (2022) - NCAA Division 1 hockey player


In popular culture

Citadel High School appears in the
CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...
sitcom '' Mr. D'' as "Xavier Academy".


See also

*
Halifax Central Library The Halifax Central Library is a public library in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is located on the corner of Spring Garden Road and Queen Street in Downtown Halifax. It serves as the flagship library of the Halifax Public Libraries, repla ...
*
Halifax Common The Halifax Common, in local popular usage often referred to as the Commons, is a Canadian urban park in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is Canada’s oldest urban park. History The Halifax Common was originally a lightly forested swampy area which fo ...
* Quinpool District * Spring Garden Road


References


External links

* {{Authority control 2007 establishments in Nova Scotia 2011 Canada Winter Games Educational institutions established in 2007 High schools in Halifax, Nova Scotia International Baccalaureate schools in Nova Scotia Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design basic silver certified buildings Schools in Halifax, Nova Scotia