Electricity and wi-fi coming to Otterbury School House

By Mark Squibb

A 19th century staple is getting some 21st century upgrades.
Harbour Grace council this week unanimously approved two motions that will see improvements made to the Otterbury School House.
The first motion was that Economic Development Officer Matthew McCarthy provide TakeCharge NL with the required information to request a rebate on installation costs. That motion was moved by councillor Gordon Stone and seconded by councillor Lee Rogers.
The second motion was that McCarthy have wi-fi installed at the Otterbury School House in the amount of $3,104.
Councillor Gordon Stone noted the money is made possible by a GIC investment, and the contract is set for three years, so that council will shell out roughly $1,000 on the building’s wi-fi annually. That motion was moved by Stone and seconded by Deputy Mayor Keith Skinner.
Stone noted the finance committee is currently setting rental fees for Town buildings, including the Danny Cleary Community Centre, Otterbury School House, and Harbour Grace Railway Station to help offset building costs.
The former schoolhouse, meanwhile, is set to open to the public on July 7. The building is used by local community groups for meetings.
The one-roomed, gable roofed schoolhouse was run by the Roman Catholic Church from the 1880’s until the 1960’s, when it was closed permanently. Many older residents of Riverhead can trace their early education to the building.
The school was recognised by Canada’s Historic Places in 2006.