Former students reflect on legacy of closed Mississauga school

This Mississauga building has been home to thousands of Catholic high school girls over the last six decades and on Saturday its former students gathered for a final mass to say goodbye to the Holy Name of Mary College School. I think we just had a very special connection like family when we were at the school so to hear of its last mass today is very very heartwarming and a little bit painful at the same time. It occurred to me especially in the last song That it's our last time ever singing in the chapel possibly. The building, owned by the Felician Sisters of Saint Francis, first opened up in 1964 as a private all-girls school with dormitories. Over the years, it bounced between public and private funding. And eventually shut its doors this past June due to low enrollment. And now, its future is up in the air. Declining enrollment trends, rising operational costs, the changing landscape of independent and Catholic education overall. So it was really an unfortunate trifecta of a lot of different factors. The overarching Felician Sisters of North America Council. It's still discerning on what to do with the property. Kresge says the Pennsylvania-based convent has received lots of interest from organizations, non-profits, and community members, who've all given suggestions on how the structure could be repurposed. She says all options are on the table right now. Alumni are hoping the school board or the city of Mississauga will buy the building and keep it running as an all-girls school or that it could be turned into a community center or a long-term care facility. However, Kresge says a decision won't be made anytime soon but they will prioritize its long-standing legacy. Isha Pargava, CBC News, Mississauga.