Editor's note: The County of Simcoe, which owns the former Orillia District Collegiate and Vocational Institute, has informed OrilliaMatters that the planned sale and auction of items inside the school will not happen, as it has not been sanctioned by the county.
Derick Lehmann got to walk the halls of the high school he attended in the late 1990s. Needless to say, things have changed.
Lehmann, who graduated from Orillia District Collegiate and Vocational Institute (ODCVI) in 1998, entered his alma mater — now a construction zone — Monday morning. He was taking stock of what items were left behind when the "home of the Blues" was closed in 2015. Those items will be sold during an event later this month, with proceeds going toward scholarships and bursaries for Orillia Secondary School students.
“There’s a lot of nostalgia in that building,” Lehmann said after touring the school, which has been purchased by the County of Simcoe.
As he wandered the halls, memories flooded back. When Lehmann was student council president in his last year, he brought a TV to school so he and his friends could play GoldenEye 007 on Nintendo 64, one of the most popular video games at the time.
“It’s funny, the things you remember when you go to certain areas,” he said.
He then entered his former biology classroom. The painting of a dissected pig on the classroom door is still there.
He also came across gym mats bearing the ODCVI Blues logo, some ceiling tiles that were painted by art students and then reinstalled, artwork, cork boards, school projects and more.
“There’s not a ton of stuff left,” Lehmann said.
He wasn’t referring to lockers. There are plenty of those.
They will be among the items either for sale or part of a silent auction during an event Jan. 26. On that day, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. — or until there are no items left — the public is invited to the large gym at ODCVI, where the items will be on display. Because it’s a construction zone, the large gym will be the only area open to the public.
To get to that point, though, Lehmann is looking for “some handymen and handywomen to give us some of their time” on Jan. 21 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Lockers and some other items will need to be removed. Anyone willing to help is asked to bring tools and safety gear (safety glasses, steel-toe boots, reflective vest/high-visibility clothing, hard hat) as well as photo ID, as they will need to sign waivers. Lehmann has created a Facebook event page.
“Hopefully, the community that shares a love for that building will help us out with removing the items and come out to buy some of it,” he said.
Lehmann said he is thankful for the assistance of the county, as well as the construction crew.
“They understand the importance of this place to the community.”
It made sense to put the money toward scholarships and bursaries for Orillia Secondary School, Lehmann said. That school was built to accommodate students who had attended ODCVI and Park Street Collegiate Institute.
In August, the county announced it has purchased the property at the corner of Borland and West streets with a plan to build a regional services hub. The county will hold public consultations regarding its plan this year. Dates have not yet been set.