A century and a half of memories: Almonte District High School invites community to celebrate milestone

Almonte District High School (ADHS) is marking 150 years of education and community connection this fall with a day-long celebration planned for Saturday, Oct. 11.

The school is inviting alumni, former staff, families, and residents to join in a series of events, including a four-player scramble golf tournament at Pakenham Golf Club and the return of the long-running “Turkey Bowl” touch football game.

From 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., ADHS will host an open house featuring food, refreshments, and live entertainment by former and current students. Visitors will also have the chance to explore displays from the North Lanark Regional Museum and view a multimedia slideshow highlighting the school’s 150-year history through photos, artifacts, and stories.

Current students are adding their own mark to the anniversary. The Construction Tech class designed and built a wooden time capsule to commemorate the milestone.

“We made a treasure chest out of pine and are going to put a plaque on the top of it for the 150th anniversary,” said Grade 12 student Craig Villeneuve. “It was a healthy competition in shop class – we went through a lot of ideas and chose a time capsule.”

“The box will be carrying something important from different classes around the school,” added Grade 12 student Alyssa Lalonde. “Both my parents, all my aunts and uncles and my grandfather went to this school so it’s important [to me] to celebrate the history.”