School Name History
Location
3071 Babich Road, Abbotsford, BC
Opened
1982
The School
The school was supposed to open in September of 1982, but it was not finished on time. There were delays due to a construction strike and problems with the contractor. The Terry Fox classes were held at Philip Sheffield, Abbotsford Elementary, John Maclure, and Margaret Stenersen schools while the district waited for the school to be ready. Finally, in November, the teachers and students moved into the new building. Rollie and Betty Fox came to the official opening ceremony in January.
Every year since its opening, Terry Fox Elementary has held a Terry Fox Run. In the early years, the school was sometimes visited by Terry’s parents on the day of the run. The school adopted Terry’s motto, “Anything is possible,” as its motto.
Origin of the Name
In 1982, a parent in the Babich area suggested that the new school should be named after Terry Fox. Terry Fox, who had died the year before, was nationally admired for raising money for cancer research by running a “Marathon of Hope” across Canada. After asking the parents of Terry Fox for permission to use their son’s name, the school board approved the proposal. The board also had to get approval from the Canadian Cancer Society, the agency that oversaw the use of Terry Fox’s name. Approval was given, and the school was named after Terry Fox.
Terence (Terry) Fox (1958-1981)
Terry Fox was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1958. When he was eight years old, his family moved to Port Coquitlam, BC. In high school, he played basketball and ran cross-country. In grade 12, he won the Athlete of the Year award in his high school. When he finished school, he went to Simon Fraser University. He planned to become a Physical Education teacher. Terry didn’t finish university because in 1976, he developed cancer. His right leg was amputated to save his life.
Terry went through months of physical therapy and training to learn how to run on an artificial leg. He wanted to raise money to help other people with cancer. He decided to run a “Marathon of Hope” to raise money for cancer research. His goal was to raise one dollar for every Canadian citizen by running across Canada. In April of 1980, he dipped his foot in the Atlantic Ocean then began running west towards the Pacific Ocean. He ran 5373 kilometres, reaching Thunder Bay, Ontario. There he had to stop because the cancer had reached his lungs. He went to the Royal Columbian hospital in New Westminster for treatment. He had hoped to resume his run when he got better, but Terry died in 1981. He was only twenty-two years old.
The Marathon of Hope raised twenty-four million dollars, which, in that year, met his goal of one dollar for each Canadian.
For his courage and dedication, he received many honours. He was the youngest recipient of the Companion of the Order of Canada. Other awards include the Order of the Dogwood (B.C.), the Sword of Hope (American Cancer Society) and the Lou Marsh Award for Outstanding Athletic Accomplishment (Canadian Sports Editors). A mountain in the Rockies was named after him. In Ontario, where he had to stop his run, there is a statue at the Terry Fox Lookout by the Terry Fox Courage Highway. Many schools across the country were named after him. Many cities put up statues in his honour. In his hometown of Port Coquitlam there is a Terry Fox Library. In his memory, the “Terry Fox Marathon of Hope” run is held every year to raise money for cancer research.
The Abbotsford School District graciously acknowledges the Abbotsford Retired Teachers Association for collecting the histories and stories of our schools as part of their "What's in a name?" 50th-anniversary project.