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Cottle Way

Edith M. Cottle. 1952. Photo: From, The Classic, the yearbook of the Stratford Normal School, and reprinted by Dean Robinson in his comprehensive history of the school, Hardly Normal. We are grateful for Dean's remarkable heritage and local history work.

Edith Cottle: Teacher, 42 years, from 1908 to 1952 at Stratford Normal School

Cottle Way is a new street that will be developed in the area of the Old Fairgrounds named in honour of Edith Cottle, longtime teacher and physical education instructor at the Stratford Normal School (see Water Street) from the founding of the school in 1908 until 1952.

Edith Miles Cottle was born on May 15, 1882 in Toronto and died in Stratford on April 14, 1954 (aged 71). She was hired as one of the original instructors for the Stratford Normal School (SNS) when it was built and opened in 1908 and taught there for 42 years until 1952 when she retired.

Cottle was a graduate of the Somers’ School of Physical Training, the Chautauqua School of Physical Training in Chautauqua N. Y. and the Mosher School of Dancing in Toronto. She also held the Strathcona Certificate for Instructors of public-school teachers and the Royal-Life Saving Certificate. In Stratford she graduated from the Central Business College where she specialized in penmanship. The SNS was her first place of permanent employment.

In 1908, she was part of a ten-member teaching staff and a class of 184 students...156 females and 28 males...in the school’s inaugural year. Carpenters and tradesmen were still working on the school when the students arrived that September. The principal was Walter Herman Elliott who had come to Stratford from the Toronto Normal School. His stay was short-lived because he returned to Toronto to take on the position of inspector of teachers. Sidney Sheddon Silcox succeeded him as principal, (see Water Street), and led the school with distinction from 1909 to 1935.

The staff at Stratford Normal Schlool 1911-1912. Top, from left:J ohn Emery, John McCutcheon and Hugh Robertson. Middle, from left: Sugden Pickles, Sidney Silcox, principal, and James Bottomley. Bottom, from left: Helen Mayberry, Allene Neville, and Edith Cottle.

Photo Source: The Classic, as reprinted in Hardly Normal.

It was Silcox and his ten member staff including Edith Cottle, Helen Mayberry, (art), the wife of Charles A. Mayberry, a teacher at the Stratford Collegiate Institute who would become its principal, and James Bottomley, (music), a well-travelled organist and choir leader from Oshawa, who welcomed the public and dignitaries at the formal opening on January 22, 1909. The public braved a downpour and showed up at the “noble edifice’ as described by the Stratford Daily Herald in Queen Victoria’s Park (later Queen’s Park) by the hundreds. William S. Dingman, Mayor of Stratford, chaired the event. ( see Dingman Place).

In addition to her instructing duties and her coaching of Girls’ Basketball, Volleyball and Softball over the years, Edith Cottle was part of a key team that welcomed newcomers to the school each year with break-the-ice parties, games, contests, square dancing and refreshments. The games of the “play day” organized by Miss Cottle changed over the years but the emphasis was on kids’ games that could be used by the prospective teachers in their teaching careers. The teams not only played the games but came up with “lusty yells or songs.” If there was rain, as happened from time to time over the years, the students retreated to the gymnasium in the basement of the Normal School.

Dean Robinson in his book Hardly Normal: The Stratford Normal School and Stratford Teachers’ College 1908-1973 describes one such evening at the start of school in 1949 this way. The source for his information was the SNS yearbook, The Classic, produced in every one of the 65 years of the school’s history.

“On the evening of September 15, Miss Cottle held her get-acquainted party, for which she divided her charges into eight teams ... There were games, relays, grand marches, singing, buffet-style refreshments in the home economics room, and some square dancing.”

Miss Cottle also assisted with the costuming for the plays at the Normal School. There was a rich tradition dating from 1913 of Shakespearean play production long before The Stratford Shakespearean Festival began in 1953.

An article by Betty Jo Belton of the Stratford-Perth Archives reproduced in The Streets of Stratford Flashbacks section noted that Miss E.M. Cottle assisted Miss Everson in preparing many of the costumes that could not be secured from the Toronto Costumer. See Shakespear Play. Miss Cottle also coached many dances including the ever-popular Highland Dances. She was still coaching both dancing and athletics at the end of her long and notable career.

May Day Celebrations, Stratford Normal School, 1932. The celebrations and dances on May Day were organized by Edith Cottle each year.

While a male student anchors the pole, some of his female colleagues do a tradional dance during the SNS May Day celebrations on May 20, 1932. The photo is looking east from the Stratford Normal School. Sources for both photos: The Classic, as reprinted in Hardly Normal.

Girls Volleyball and Softball Teams 1950-1951. Sitting from left: Isabelle Spier, Frances Stonehouse, Maxine Stephens, Norma Leeming. Middle row, from left: Dorothy Capper, Grace Vine, June Kilty, Patricia Stewart, Jean Davidson, Norma Timms, Miss Edith Cottle, Jane Nelson, Lillian Crawford, Eileen Thompson, Beryl Heckman. Back, from left: Mable Campbell, Dolores Cross, Marion Zapfe, Joan Eby, Margaret Pogson, Phyllis Plummer, Helen Beattie.

A major school event organized by Edith Cottle every year was the May Day celebration. The final one happened in 1952, just weeks before her retirement. As mentioned, she had been on the staff since the school opened in 1908, as its physical education instructor. Each year, she had taught the May dance and choreographed its presentation in Upper Queen’s Park.

May Day was a tradition at the school, rich in pomp and circumstance, yet spirited, lively and social. It was the school’s end-of-year party, observing England’s traditional May Day customs of crowning a May Day Queen and dancing around a maypole. The school’s staff and students looked forward to, with pride, to their similar annual celebration.

The festivities were held on the lawns east of the school in Upper Queen’s Park, either in late May or early June, often dictated by the weather. As Dean Robinson notes, "It was a pretty custom and a chance to welcome the lure of spring sunshine, breezes, birds and flowers. Crowning of a May Day Queen was an annual opportunity by the school to honour its most popular student. Chosen by popular vote, such an election was not without keen competition. The nearest contestants were selected as the Queen’s attendants, who shared in the honours of the day. Other events on the program would often include dance competitions, singing the maypole song, dramatizations, exhibitions, games, delivery of the “valedictory” by the elected valedictorian, and refreshments in the assembly hall."

Miss Cottle orchestrated the event yearly and taught the dances. Here is one description from the yearbook in 1928. “About 200 spectators then watched the dance around the maypole as gay pink and blue streamers fluttered merrily in the hands of about 30 girls, dancing rhythmically about the pole. Following this dance, other competitive dances were held in which various forms took part...”

“On May 7, 1953, instead of a May Day program (and the crowning of another queen of the May), the (Stratford Normal School) held a sports meet, organized by the athletic society. It was reminiscent of the “play day” that Ms. Cottle had for years orchestrated for the students each September.

“By the fall of 1953, the normal school had become a teachers’ college, and with the new name came policies and procedures that did not include a May Day celebration (see Queen of the May. )

Girls' Volleyball Team. 1934-1935. W. DeLong, I. Miller, F. Malcolm, Miss Cottle, C. Matthews, M. Janzen, W. Savauge, I. Marshall, I. MacLean. Source: The Classic, reprinted by Dean Robinson in Hardly Normal.

Girls' Basketball Team. 1939-1940. Miss Cottle, J. Holmes, G. Capling, E. Wildfong, V. Walker, V. MacLeod, B. Oliver, D. McCallum, M. Myers, M. Coulter, M. Hamilton. Photo: The Classic, reprinted in Hardly Normal.

Cottle was a member of Central United Church ( see Avondale Avenue) and involved as a primary teacher in the church school for years. Her community work also included church activities and games for children and young people. The Memorial inscription at Avondale Cemetery was erected by the congregation of Central United Church in Stratford, in recognition of her long and faithful service. Source: Find a Grave

Edith Cottle was also deeply involved in teaching at the Stratford YWCA and worked closely with the director, Miss Grace Dand (see Waterloo Street). The YWCA had no swimming pool so all swimming classes were held at the YMCA on Downie Street. The Stratford Beacon Herald on November 5, 1927 mentioned her commitment to the community: "All the swimming classes are taught by Miss E. Cottle." She also taught dancing and choreographed celebrations for special events for the girls at the YWCA over the years.

Edith Cottle participated in community events including historical pageants such as the one for the Stratford Rotary Club when Dr. David Smith was president. (see Smith Street and Cambria Street) She portrayed “The Spirit of The Wilderness” in a realistic, instructive scene as reported in the July 4, 1924 issue of the Stratford Mirror. She was involved with annual student educational and cultural excursions from the Normal School to the Agricultural College in Guelph which is now part of the University of Guelph. Other excursions with prospective teachers included trips to the Ontario Legislature, the Royal Ontario Museum, Hart House at U of T. In the school year 1944-1945, they also visited the CBC where they enjoyed an episode of the most popular radio show of the time, "The Happy Gang."

Cottle also took a lively interest in Stratford Municipal affairs. She hosted nomination meetings for Stratford Council during the 1920s at her home at 149 Nelson Street. She later lived at 67 Ballantyne Street.

When Edith Cottle retired in the summer of 1952, she had been the SNS’s physical education instructor since the school opened in 1908. Indeed, she was the longest serving charter-member of the SNS staff. It was Miss Cottle who had fostered the annual May Day celebration. She was known as a warm and friendly teacher who had a genuine interest in her work. She died in May 1954.

Sources: Dean Robinson, Hardly Normal: The Stratford Normal School and Stratford Teachers’ College 1908-1973; Stratford Archives Digitized newspaper collections; Edith Miles Cottle (1882-1954) - Find a Grave Memorial

Stratford Normal School Early Photo. Side view looking west from Queen's Park where May Day celebrations were held yearly coordinated by Edith Cottle. Photo: Stratford-Perth Archives.

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