Queen Elizabeth High School (QEH) was a secondary school in Halifax,

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

. QEH was known for its high academic standards, competitive sports teams and distinguished extra-curricular activities such as its annual model parliament and musical productions. Its

Reach for the Top ''Reach for the Top'' (also known simply as ''Reach'') is a Canadian trivia based academic quiz competition for high school students. In the past, it has also been a game show nationally broadcast on the CBC. Matches are currently aired online ...

team won the CBC-TV national championship in 1975. Queen Elizabeth High School was part of the Halifax community for 65 years, and offered many services and facilities including a 1280-seat performance auditorium that opened in 1951. QEH closed in 2007, merging with longtime rival St. Patrick's High School to form Citadel High School.

History

Queen Elizabeth High School was formed by a merger of two former schools, the Halifax Academy and Bloomfield High School, which were considered overcrowded and outdated. It was built during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

on Camp Hill, facing Robie Street, and opened on 2 September 1942. The new school was named after

Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to: Queens regnant * Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland * Elizabeth II (1926–2022; ), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms * Queen B ...

(popularly known after 1952 as the Queen Mother), who had visited Halifax in 1939 with

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...

. Queen Elizabeth was registered as a designated school for children of the United States Armed Forces and Diplomatic Corps, and had a long tradition of attracting students from other parts of Canada as well as from overseas. '' Live!'', the first live album released by legendary Canadian rock and roll band

April Wine April Wine is a Canadian rock band formed in 1969 and based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia, led by singer-guitarist-songwriter Myles Goodwyn until his death in 2023. April Wine first experienced success with their second album, ' ...

, was recorded in the QEH auditorium in 1974. Queen Elizabeth High School was merged with nearby St. Patrick's High School to form Citadel High School. The new school is located across the street from the former site of Queen Elizabeth, adjacent to Citadel Hill. Ground breaking for Citadel High School took place in April 2006, and the final classes at QEH finished in June 2007. Queen Elizabeth closed as the academically top-ranked high school in Nova Scotia (based on the

Atlantic Institute for Market Studies The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for s ...

annual rankings of high schools). The building was demolished in 2011, and its former land was transferred to the province of Nova Scotia. During the demolition, workers discovered an unmarked, sealed copper

time capsule A time capsule is a historic treasure trove, cache of goods or information, usually intended as a deliberate method of communication with future people, and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians. The preservation of holy ...

behind the school's

cornerstone A cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry Foundation (engineering), foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entir ...

. Opened in September 2011 at Citadel High School, the capsule contained newspapers, school planning documents, and other paraphernalia from 1941. Over the short term, a community garden has been developed on the site and includes a walking path from Robie Street to Bell Road. In the future, the land is slated to be developed by the

Nova Scotia Health Authority The Nova Scotia Health Authority is a provincial health authority serving Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the largest employer in the province, with more than 23,000 employees, 2,500 physicians and 7,000 volunteers working from 45 different facilities. ...

as an expansion to the neighbouring

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 ...

. Queen Elizabeth High School hosted numerous successful reunions in its history and one final reunion, the "Last Chance Reunion" took place from July 27 to 29, 2007.

Campus

Queen Elizabeth High School occupied a sloping site on the corner of Bell Road and Robie Street, popularly known as the "Willow Tree" intersection. The sprawling school building, located opposite the Halifax Common and the Quinpool Road commercial district, was built in phases from the 1940s to 1960s. It had four teaching levels as well as a clock tower. Though the school was originally planned to include a gymnasium and auditorium, construction of these facilities was deferred due to the war and a lack of funds. Work began in 1950, and the gym and auditorium were opened in 1951. '' Erminie'' was the first musical presented in the new auditorium. The first phase of the school, as well as the subsequent gym/auditorium addition, were designed by architect C.A. Fowler (1891–1950) of Halifax. More classrooms were added in the late 1950s, but the school remained overcrowded into the 1960s. The authorities discussed a variety of options to deal with the problem including adding another storey to the school, building a new high school in the north end, or building an extension to QEH. They finally settled on the latter option, and in February 1969 the Board of School Commissioners opened an addition along Bell Road that more than doubled the school's size. Queen Elizabeth High School's facilities included a library, art rooms, music rooms, technology education shops, science laboratories, computer laboratories, family studies rooms, a reading resource room, a learning support centre, an ESL centre, a gymnasium, an auditorium and a full-service cafeteria – all of which were accessible to the physically challenged.

Model parliament

Queen Elizabeth High School had one of the oldest-running high school

model parliament The Model Parliament was the 1295 Parliament of England of Edward I of England, King Edward I. Its composition became the model for later parliaments. History The term ''Model Parliament'' was coined by William Stubbs (1825-1901) and later use ...

s in all of North America, founded in 1952. This became one of the most prized traditions of the school and continues at Citadel High School.

Previous opposition leaders and prime ministers

*2007: Edgar Burns (Liberal) and Zephyr Armsworthy (Conservative) *2005: Aaron Ingersoll (Conservative), and James Mosher (Liberal) *2004: Kaitlin Pianosi (Conservative) and James Mosher (Liberal) *1994: Neil MacFarlane (PM-Reform) and Jacob Zimmer (LO-NDP) *1990: Michael S. Mahon (PM Conservative) and JA Mahon Party Whip *1989: Brian Macdonald (PM NDP) and Heather Fitzgerald (LO Liberal) *1988: Derek Hall (PM NDP) and Heather Fitzgerald (LO Liberal) *1987: Derek Hall (PM NDP) and Karla Francis (LO Liberal)

Athletics

Basketball

At the Nova Scotia high school level during the 1980s, QEH was the most dominant high school team in the province, winning several provincial titles as well as other tournaments across Canada. Bob Douglas, who has become a local basketball coaching legend, headed the team. Douglas died in 2008, but his coaching success at QEH spanned three decades and he coached or influenced perhaps most of the best players that came from Nova Scotia over that period. In the 1980s alone, the QEH Lions won four consecutive provincial titles and Douglas was officially recognized by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. The Nova Scotia high school league in general was very competitive, and by the midpoint of the 1980s, basketball had become the most popular sport for both girls and boys at the high school level.

Football

The QEH Lions football team had a storied history, and ranks amongst the most successful high school programmes in Canada. Head Coach Mike Tanner was the 1999 recipient of the NFL Canada Youth Coach of the Year Award. Tanner, a former QEH Lions player himself, also taught High School Physical Education throughout his career as head coach of the football team. Many other former Lions players also returned as coaches including Jeff Lawley, who coached defence from the 1990s until the programme was merged with that of Saint Patrick's at Citadel High. Queen Elizabeth Lions provincial football championships include: *2005: - QEH Lions 49 vs Cobequid Educational Centre Cougars 9 *2004: - QEH Lions 32 vs Cobequid Educational Centre Cougars 17 *2002: - QEH Lions 12 vs Cobequid Educational Centre Cougars 7 *1998: - QEH Lions 39 vs Saint Patrick's High School Irish 6 *1995: - QEH Lions 20 vs Prince Andrew High School Panthers 17 *1994: - QEH Lions 28 vs Prince Andrew High School Panthers 0 *1988: - QEH Lions W vs Cobequid Educational Centre Cougars L *1987: - QEH Lions *1986: - QEH Lions *1985: - QEH Lions *1983: - QEH Lions *1982: - QEH Lions *1981: - QEH Lions *1980: - QEH Lions *1978: - QEH Lions *1973: - QEH Lions *1970: - QEH Lions *1969: - QEH Lions

Musicals

*2007: Titanic: A New Musical *2006:

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical theater, musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Run ...

*2005:

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical theatre, musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story, based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion (play), Pygmalion'' and on the Pygmalion (1938 film), 1938 film ...

*2004:

Jane Eyre ''Jane Eyre'' ( ; originally published as ''Jane Eyre: An Autobiography'') is a novel by the English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published under her pen name "Currer Bell" on 19 October 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. of London. The firs ...

*2003:

State Fair A state fair is an annual competitive and recreational gathering of a U.S. state's population, usually held in late summer or early fall. It is a larger version of a county fair, often including only exhibits or competitors that have won in t ...

*2002: Hello Dolly! *2000:

Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British ocean liner that sank in the early hours of 15 April 1912 as a result of striking an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United States. Of the estimated 2,224 passengers a ...

*1999:

The Pajama Game ''The Pajama Game'' is a musical based on the 1953 novel '' 7½ Cents'' by Richard Bissell. The book is by George Abbott and Richard Bissell; the music and lyrics are by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Dances were staged by Bob Fosse in his chor ...

*1998: Annie *1997:

Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical theater, musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs's 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs (play), Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of ...

*1996:

Faust Faust ( , ) is the protagonist of a classic German folklore, German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust (). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a deal with the Devil at a ...

*1995:

Damn Yankees ''Damn Yankees'' is a 1955 musical comedy with a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop, music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story is a modern retelling of the Faust legend set during the 1950s in Washington, D.C., d ...

*1994:

Fiddler on the Roof ''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical theatre, musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and musical theatre#Book musicals, book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Russian Empire, Imperial Russia in or around 19 ...

*1993:

Oliver! ''Oliver!'' is a stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel ''Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre, southwest London in 1960 before opening in the W ...

*1992:

Carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (International English), or galloper (British English) is a type of amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders. The seats are tradit ...

*1989: Now Let's Revue *1988:

Kiss Me, Kate ''Kiss Me, Kate'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and a book by Bella and Samuel Spewack. The story involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare's ''The Taming of the Shrew'' and the conflict on and off- ...

*1987: My One and Only *1986:

The Music Man ''The Music Man'' is a musical theatre, musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns a confidence trick, con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and ...

*1985:

*1984:

*1983:

West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a Musical theatre, musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a Book (musical theatre), book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo an ...

*1982:

Bye Bye Birdie ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is a stage musical with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams, based upon a book by Michael Stewart. Originally titled ''Let's Go Steady'', ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is set in 1958. The play's book was influenced by El ...

*1981: Bells are Ringing *1980:

Brigadoon ''Brigadoon'' is a musical with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and score by Frederick Loewe. The plot features two American tourists who stumble upon Brigadoon, a mysterious Scottish village that appears for only one day every 100 years; on ...

*1979:

*1978:

South Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

*1977:

Irene Irene is a name derived from εἰρήνη (eirēnē), Greek for "peace". Irene, and related names, may refer to: * Irene (given name) Places * Irene, Gauteng, South Africa * Irene, South Dakota, United States * Irene, Texas, United States ...

*1976:

*1975:

Anything Goes ''Anything Goes'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, revised considerably by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madc ...

*1974: Salad Days *1973:

*1968: Get Up and Go *1967: Tell it to Sweeney *1966: Our Girls *1963: The Curious Savage *1962: The Red Mill *1961:

The Pirates of Penzance ''The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, W. S. Gilbert. Its official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 3 ...

The Happiest Days of Our Life *1960: Life With Father *1959: Four To Go *1958: Father of the Bride *1957: The Solid Gold Cadillac *1956: Robin Hood
Time Out for Ginger *1955:

The Winslow Boy ''The Winslow Boy'' is an English play from 1946 by Terence Rattigan based on an incident involving George Archer-Shee in the Edwardian era. The incident took place at the Royal Naval College, Osborne. Background Set against the strict cod ...

*1954: The Fortune Teller
    Cheaper by the Dozen *1953: Martha/Julius Caesar *1952: The Romance of Cinderella
    The Chimes of Normandy
     You Can't Take It With You *1951: Erminie

Notable alumni

* Rick Black –

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...

(CFL) player * Philip Bryden '71 – Alberta deputy minister of justice and deputy solicitor general *

George Elliott Clarke George Elliott Clarke (born February 12, 1960) is a Canadian poet, playwright and literary critic who served as the Poet Laureate of Toronto from 2012 to 2015 and as the Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate in 2016-2017. Clarke's work addresse ...

'78 – poet/professor * David Crabbe – Canadian Football League player *

Melanie Doane Melanie Doane is a Canadian singer, songwriter, actress, and music educator. Early years Daughter of J. Chalmers Doane, a music educator and member of the Order of Canada, Doane learned many instruments at a young age, including piano, bass gui ...

– singer/songwriter *

Ray Downey Raymond Tyler Downey (born September 23, 1968 in Halifax, Nova Scotia) is a Canadian boxing, boxer, who won a Olympic medalists in boxing, light middleweight bronze medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics. In 1990 he gained silver at the Boxing at the ...

– Olympic boxer *

Andy Fillmore Andy Fillmore (born April 25, 1966) is an American-born Canadian politician who has been the mayor of the Halifax Regional Municipality since November 5, 2024. He previously served as a Liberal Party of Canada Member of Parliament for the ridin ...

'84 – former member of parliament for Halifax *

Walter Fitzgerald Walter Fitzgerald Bond (18 May 1896 – 20 December 1976) was an English character actor. Early life Born in Stoke, Plymouth, Fitzgerald was a former stockbroker before he began his theatrical training at RADA. He joined the British Army durin ...

'54 – former mayor of Halifax and first mayor of Halifax Regional Municipality * Nancy Garapick '79 – Olympic swimmer (Montreal 1976 - won two bronze medal

*

Jenn Grant Jenn Grant (born August 20, 1980) is a Canadian folk pop singer-songwriter based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Career Grant performed as a musician for a time in her early teens, but stopped due to a bout of stage fright. She did not return to pe ...

'98 – singer/songwriter * Rob Harris '81 – Canadian men's curling champion '04 ("Brier"), world championships bronze medal-winner '04, Canadian mixed curling champion '02 * Ron James '76 – comedian * Stephen Kimber '67 – journalist * Labi Kousoulis '89 – Liberal MLA * Nancy Lane Perham, OBE, cell biologist at Cambridge University * Michael Leir – High Commissioner to Australia * Martha MacDonald '68 – economist *

Alexa McDonough Alexa Ann McDonough ( Shaw; August 11, 1944 – January 15, 2022) was a Canadian politician who served as leader of the New Democratic Party from 1995 to 2003. She was the first woman to lead a major, recognized political party in Nova Scotia ...

– former leader of the

Nova Scotia New Democratic Party The Nova Scotia New Democratic Party (Nova Scotia NDP) is a social democratic political party in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the provincial section for the province of the federal New Democratic Party. It was founded as the Co-operative Commonwe ...

(1980–1994) and

New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party (NDP; , ) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic: * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Editors of ''Encyclopædia Britann ...

(1995–2003) *

Sarah McLachlan Sarah Ann McLachlan (born January 28, 1968) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. As of 2015, she had sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is ''Surfacing (album), Surfacing'' (1997), for which she won two G ...

'86 – singer/songwriter * Steve Morley '99 – former NFL football player and

CFL The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division and five in the West Division. The CFL is the highest pr ...

(1st overall draft pick) offensive lineman *

Elliot Page Elliot Page (formerly Ellen Page; born February 21, 1987) is a Canadian actor, producer, and activist. He is known for his leading roles across Canadian and American film and television, and for his outspoken work as an activist for LGBTQ righ ...

'05 – actor ('' X-Men: The Last Stand'' and '' Juno'') * Roland Arthur Perry – first Chief Medical Examiner of Nova Scotia * Ben Proudfoot - film-maker, producer - two-time Oscar winner for The Queen of Basketball and The Last Repair Shop * Glenn Sarty (dropped out) – television producer * Russell Smith '81 – author and journalist * Wade Smith – educator * Warren Spicer '96 – Plants and Animals member * Don Tremaine (dropped out) – longtime CBC personality *

Jonathan Torrens Jonathan Ormond Torrens (born October 2, 1972) is a Canadian actor and television personality best known for his co-hosting of ''Street Cents'', his talk show ''Jonovision'', and his role as "J-Roc" in the popular Canadian mockumentary ''Trailer ...

'90 – actor, television personality * Hetty van Gurp '67 – founder, Peaceful Schools International * Tyrone Williams –

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

and

player * Matt Woodley '96 – Plants and Animals member

Notes

References *

External links

*
QEH Last Chance Reunion WebsiteQEH Class of 1971 web site
{{Coord, 44, 38, 47.7, N, 63, 35, 21.5, W, display=title 1942 establishments in Nova Scotia 2007 disestablishments in Nova Scotia High schools in Halifax, Nova Scotia Educational institutions established in 1942 Educational institutions disestablished in 2007 Schools in Halifax, Nova Scotia Former schools in Nova Scotia