of what had once been our school. The prayers of those present must have been answered for it remained calm throughout the day allow¬ ing the fire to be brought under control. Had the winds quickened the disaster would surely have been much worse. When the danger passed over the weekend the village had to con¬ sider how to continue the school year. As it turned out, the village itself became the school as any room large enough to hold a class was quickly used for this purpose. We were taught in everything from living rooms to the Church basement, even up above the fish factory. It was, on reflection, an exciting time to be in school. The village was a tremendous place to grow up in. There was a nice sense of spirit. Everyone knew and respected each other. During most of my early education I was the only student of Protestant faith attending our school. This was not an uncomfortable experience however, since the Sisters were just as determined to have me respect the Almighty as any other student. The only time I felt somehow different was on Sunday morning when I walked a different route to Church. But church was church, and it was part of everyone's life. To be sure, one was conscious of religion because we were mostly taught by Sisters but the lasting impression was not of religious differences but a reverence for Christian values and ideals. It was the time of kerosene lamps and saying the Rosary after supper. No matter whose home I called into after supper I would more often than not arrive during the Rosary. I would politely sit down until this spiritual event was completed before going outside to play. There was nothing like a little daily discipline to make you enjoy your free time that much more!' The loss was estimated at $100,000.00, a great loss for a small community of only 150 families, the greater number of whom depended entirely on fishing for their livelihood. Everything was lost, including all the books, school records, two pianos, three 16 mm projectors, a stove, dishes and other kitchen utensils. The school at that time had an enrollment of 256 with nine well-fitted classrooms and an auditorium which seated 300 persons. There were also two bowling alleys, a recreation hall, a sewing and home economics room, a manual training room, a Grade XI laboratory and a library. The feeling of despair was soon followed by one of determination. A meeting was held the very next afternoon to form a plan of action. In the mean¬ time, temporary classrooms were set up in a variety of places in the community; the sacristy of the church, above and below the sacristy, above the co-operative hardware store, the Legion, the factory of the North Rustico Packing Company, at the homes of Mrs. McNeill and Mrs. John L. Dorion . Missing only one day of regular classes, school resumed on March 23, 1954. 33