School History

 
Here is some information on Eden Christian College:

Administrative History

In 1945, the Bible Society of the Mennonite Brethren Church in Virgil/Vineland decided to add a high-school department to the Virgil Bible School, which had been established earlier in 1942. The new Virgil Bible and High School opened in the fall of 1945 on nine acres of the old Ball Estate, Locust Grove, near Virgil, now part of Niagra-on-the-Lake. Henry Tiessen was called to teach Grades 9 and 10 in the building where the Bible School also conducted classes. The name of the school was changed to Eden Bible and High School.  The next year, as enrollment increased, more teachers were hired and Gr. 11 was added. In November 1946, Henry Dueck, chairman of the Eden Board, and Henry Tiessen went to Toronto and obtained accreditation for Eden with the Ontario Department of Education.

In 1946, the Society decided to construct a new high-school building several hundred yards from the Bible School building, which housed students from Gr. 9–12 the following year. In 1948, the Ontario Mennonite Brethren Conference assumed responsibility for both Eden Bible and High School. In 1948, Rev. Isaak Loewen and his wife were hired as caretakers and as house parents for the dorm students. In 1953, the Eden Bible School graduated its last class and the Bible School section of Eden was relocated to Kitchener to become the Mennonite Brethren Bible Institute. The Eden High School section continued to grow and in 1956 its name changed to Eden Christian College.

Principals at Eden included Henry Tiessen, David Neumann, Rudy Bartel, George Wichert, Ray Ratzlaff, Keith Vrieszwyk, and Ray Smith.

By 1987, Eden's high tuition rates and low enrolment forced the conference to turn Eden over to the Lincoln Board of Education. Now Eden High School continues to operate in St. Catharines, Ontario as an alternate school with a Christian philosophy and staff, but funded by the government.

https://archives.mhsc.ca/eden-christian-college-niagara-on-lake-ontario

https://www.uer.ca/locations/show.asp?locid=26680

Check out this website to see what is happening now at Eden High School: 

 

For more information about the Dorm and the transformation it has had, check out the following:

https://www.niagarathisweek.com/community-story/6180248-restoring-the-grand-locust-grove-estate-a-life-s-mission/

http://locust-grove-historic-bed-and-breakfast.ontariocahotel.com/#photo

http://locust-grove-historic-bed-and-breakfast-niagara-on-the-lake.ibooked.ca/