Suddaby Public School
Suddaby Public School is a public elementary school in downtown Kitchener, Ontario, at 171 Frederick Street. It serves students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6. It is part of the Waterloo Region District School Board and offers English and French Immersion. About 478 students were enrolled in November 2017. The principal is Barb Tomkins.
The school began in January 1857 as Central School. The building also housed Berlin Grammar School in its northeast corner. In 1871, Berlin’s growing population and mandatory attendance made the school very crowded, and the high school moved elsewhere. Classes were even held in Berlin’s fire hall in 1874. A four-room addition was built in 1876. In 1877 the government chose the school as a model for training new teachers, and the first principal, Alex Young, was replaced by Jeremiah Suddaby.
In 1882, the first kindergarten in Ontario opened at the school, started by Miss Janet Metcalfe. By 1886 the building was still crowded, so new schools were opened nearby (Agnes Street in 1886, Courtland Avenue in 1890, and Margaret Avenue in 1894). The idea of model schools ended in 1908. Suddaby remained principal until his death in 1910, and the school was renamed Suddaby Public School in his honor.
Plans for a large addition were made in 1921. The cornerstone was laid in 1922, and the new wing opened in 1923. The school celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1957, and its original bell was given to Doon Heritage Crossroads.
On November 17, 1980, the building was designated a heritage property. The designation notes the façade, two archways, and an oil painting of Jeremiah Suddaby by A. Y. Jackson from 1912.
The basement once housed a special education program called the McQuarrie Enrichment Program, which moved to Cedarbrae Public School and A.R. Kaufman Public School in 2011.
A notable former student is William Lyon Mackenzie King, who later became Prime Minister of Canada.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 22:02 (CET).