By Karen Hamer
Nepean High School is inviting the community to come back to school for a local history lesson on June 7.
The Westboro school will be a first-time participant in Doors Open Ottawa, the annual celebration of Ottawa’s architecture, heritage, and culture. Now in its 24th year, this free event offers visitors the chance to step inside buildings not usually open to the public and learn about their history.
Nepean students will lead guided tours throughout the day. During the 30-minute tour, they will share information about the building’s architectural features, stories about student life in the period from the 1920s to the 1950s, and tributes to influential staff members from those early decades.
Students contributed to the writing of the tour script, developing an appreciation for their school’s history while perusing old yearbooks, digital newspaper archives, historic photographs, and architectural blueprints.
Grade 11 student Natasha Waters researched Nepean’s third principal, D.O. Arnold, who served in the leadership role for 32 years from 1928 to 1960, a period he described as a time of rapid change and heavy responsibilities.
“I walk past his portrait every day, and I never thought twice about it,” said Waters. “This project helped me understand the huge impact he had on the school, especially in the arts and athletics, and helping students during the Great Depression and the war.”
Research into Nepean’s past has revealed many fascinating facts. From courses offered (stenography in 1927), to class sizes (60 students in 1934), to cafeteria prices (5 cents for a bowl of soup in 1951), the student writers were able to reflect on how much has changed since the school opened in September 1923.
“It was interesting to learn about the exclusion of female students from the Science Club in the 1930s,” said Grade 10 student Mia Fairgrieve. “It’s very different today. We now have a club that focuses on women in STEM.”
The research also showed that current students have a lot in common with students from the early years. A century ago, Nepean students took pride in their athletic achievements, gave musical and dramatic performances to audiences of proud parents, and engaged in charitable giving to serve their community. These traditions continue today.
In addition to the tour, visitors will be able to view an exhibit of archival photographs and historic newspaper articles. There will also be a display showcasing student research about the accomplishments of notable alumni, and another honouring Nepean’s fallen soldiers of the Second World War. Other optional activities include a photobooth and an opportunity to view past yearbooks.
Nepean’s principal, Tracy Shapiro, hopes that past, current, and future students, as well as any curious members of the public, drop in for a visit.
“We are very pleased to be joining the Doors Open Ottawa family and are looking forward to sharing our 103-year-old history with our community,” said Shapiro. “We hope that everyone who comes learns something new about Nepean from this event.”
Doors Open Ottawa at Nepean High School, 574 Broadview Avenue, takes place on June 7, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.