Citadel High School is a high school in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
The school opened in September 2007 on the site of the former Bell Road Campus of the Nova Scotia Community College. Its location bordering Bell Road, Trollope Street, and Ahern Avenue is adjacent to the Halifax Common and immediately west of Citadel Hill, a National Historic Site from which the school derives its name.
Citadel High School was formed from a merger of two older schools: Queen Elizabeth High School and Saint Patrick's High School, opened in 1942 and 1954 respectively.
History
The new school was initially announced by the Province of Nova Scotia on 12 June 2003. Designed to replace Queen Elizabeth High School and St. Patrick's High School, the school would be located on the site of the Halifax campus of the NSCC, which would subsequently be relocated to a new facility on the Dartmouth waterfront. On 31 March 2005, the HRSB announced the new name of the school, "Citadel", which was selected in a vote among other suggestions including "Halifax Central", "Willow Tree" (for the nearby traffic interchange of the same name), "Patrician Elizabethan", "Ahern Bell", "Gardens North", "Peninsula", "Garrison", as well as numerous famous Haligonians including Vince Coleman, Anna Leonowens, Robert Stanfield, Portia White, Samuel Cunard, Robert McCall, Joseph Howe, Edward Cornwallis, Richard Bulkeley, and Alexander Graham Bell.
Construction began in the Spring of 2006, following the destruction of the old community college. The school began operation in September 2007, and was officially opened by Premier Rodney MacDonald and Minister of Education Karen Casey in November of that year. The building was designed by the architectural firm of Fowler, Bauld & Mitchell, who won a design competition, and built by Pomerleau Construction.
The school contains two gymnasiums, one of which is located in the community centre section of the school, operated by the municipal recreation department. The community centre was incorporated into the project because the original school proposal did not include a second gymnasium (nor an auditorium), much to the concern of community members. The HRSB and the HRM recreation department entered into a partnership so that the two entities could share facilities: the school got its second gymnasium and the community centre has access to school classrooms on evenings and weekends. Aside from the gym, the community centre also contains dedicated activity rooms.
During the 2011 Canada Games, Citadel High served a competition venue for wheelchair basketball and table tennis. The newly opened Spatz Theatre was also used for the National Artist Program Gala.
Academics
The new school offers courses for the International Baccalaureate program adding to the schools in the Halifax area that offer the IB program. Other schools in the Halifax area with the IB program are Halifax West High School, Halifax Grammar School, and Prince Andrew High School. QEH and St. Pat's offered Pre-IB courses in 2006–2007 to Grade 10 students preparing for the IB program at Citadel High.
Continuing in the tradition of the former St. Pat's, Citadel offers French immersion courses in many subjects, and through meeting certain credit requirements students may obtain the provincial French Immersion Certificate at graduation.
Uniquely, the school also promotes Nova Scotian Gaelic language studies through several courses as well as a student society called An Dùn ("the fort", in reference to the school's name). Events and concerts are held regularly. This program was introduced with help from the Department of Education amidst a renewed interest in Gaelic culture in Nova Scotia.
Student life
Athletics
The school maintains opportunities for students to participate in basketball, soccer, football, cross country, volleyball, hockey, skiing, snowboarding, field hockey, badminton, rugby, baseball, softball, and track and field. The two large gymnasiums at the school are complemented by outdoor basketball courts and the numerous other sports facilities at the Halifax Common across the street.
The girls' basketball team made national headlines in March 2014 after winning their 100th consecutive game. The milestone was met in a game against Horton High School, whom they beat 59 to 50.