The long closed Krawchyk School has met the wrecking ball.
Dozens of people came out to say their goodbyes.
Some people laughed and others cried, as almost 100 years of history came crashing down.
They called it the red school. The 98-year-old building on Pacific Avenue was made with a pile of red bricks, and now it is what it has become again, a pile of red bricks.
Brenda Konkin lives in the community and says she did not expect to cry when the wrecking ball swung, but emotion overcame her.
At mid-morning, wrecking crews began demolishing Stephen Krawchyk School.
The doors first open in 1911 then closed in 1997.
The school division is now tearing it down because of environmental issues.
"My mom used to come to this school so it has lots of memories," said one student.
Hank Peters was a student here too, though it has been a while.
The 85-year-old was a student of the school in 1928.
"I couldn't speak any English, not a single word, so the teacher wasn't so good to me she whacked me with a ruler," recalls Peters.
Everyone had a different memory of the school, something that made it special.
"There were big poles in the gym and sometimes when you were running you kind of missed it and you hit the pole," laughed Cindy Roddy.
"I don't think there was a kid in that school that didn't run into those poles," laughed former student David Dyck.
Cody Pescitelli's parents and grandparents went to the school so it was only fitting he was in the crane for the first strike.
In about six to eight weeks when the demolition is done this space will be turned into a park for Brookland's School.
The plan is to save some of those red bricks and build a memorial, that is, if any bricks are left.
Young and old were lining the barricade waiting to take a piece of Brookland's history home.
"It's a souvenir that I'm going to put in my rock garden and keep good memories," said Roddy.
History
The school was originally known as Brookland's Red School.
In the 60's the name changed to Stephen Krawchyk in honour of a former teacher, principal and politician.
With a report from CTV's Stacey Ashley
