School Name History

Location

32161 Dormick Avenue, Abbotsford, BC 

Opened

1977

The School

Dormick Park Elementary is in the centre of Abbotsford, tucked in behind Clearbrook and Peardonville Roads. Dormick Park replaced Grant Park Elementary, a one-room portable school linked to Ten-Broeck Elementary. Grant Park, established in 1976, was named for its location at Grant Park.  The original Dormick Park school site was purchased in 1970 for $6500 per acre. Five years later, an additional three acres were bought when the price per acre had risen to $30,000. Construction of the new school began in September 1976. 

The official opening of Dormick Park Elementary was December 15, 1977. The new six-room school opened with one hundred seventy-three students in Kindergarten to Grade Three. These students came from North Poplar, which then became a grades 4-7 school.  There was an activity room for assemblies and gym as well as a sunken library in the centre of the school.  The district introduced middle schools in the early 2000s, at which point Dormick Park Elementary became a Kindergarten to Grade Five school.

Origin of the Name

The school was named after the street it was built on. Contractor Mike Didyk developed the surrounding subdivision of just under one hundred lots in 1968. The name, Dormick, is a combination of his wife’s name, Doris, and his name, Mike.

The neighbouring street, Debreen Crescent, was named for his daughters, Debbie and Doreen. Melmar Avenue was named for his sons, Melvin and Marvin.