constructed of orange-buff brick with contrasting brick in perpendicular bars on the fly over the auditorium stage. At Rideau the auditorium stage fly was decorated at the corners in contrasting brick. There were horizontal bands of windows in silver aluminum, which were later retrofitted with tinted glass in brown anodized frames. An entrance forecourt is reached by a circular drive. The main door is through a vestibule set at an angle between a classroom wing and the cafeteria block. The school's most architecturally interesting feature is a smokestack with a heavy fire door at the base for cleaning out the ash and soot. The school was renovated in the early 1990s at the cost of several million dollars. Although the renovation project was a success that helped modernize the school, the capital investment upset many members of the OCDSB as the school was perceived to be declining in both student enrollment as well as student performance. Many members of the OCDSB criticized the financial investment into the renovation project as they felt that the funds could be better used at other institutions. Programs Rideau was a mixed stream school offering Academic (advanced), Applied (general) and Essential level courses. The school also had a significant English as a Second Language program, with 63.2% of the student population enrolled. Its specialization in ESL programs made it one of the most multicultural schools in the city in such programs. Rideau also had programs for special needs students as well as a daycare for the children of young mother students (with a population of 21.3% of students enrolled) and strong technological programming. After Closure / Community Hub The building/site is proposed to become a community hub. The school board published a business plan from November 2017, and in January 2018 the provincial government announced funding support, with this description of the project: "This proposed community hub is a joint project between two community organizations [Rideau-Rockcliffe Community Centre and Odawa Native Friendship Centre] focused on Indigenous and non-Indigenous services including: alternative secondary school, urban Indigenous healthy living, life-long care, programs such as those for homelessness and bail, community justice, healing and wellness, cultural resources, a food bank, Indigenous job fair, housing, HIV/AIDS awareness, employment and training, and Inuit supports for students and youth. Other community services will include: health, social, recreation, life-long learning, and community engagement services." Notable former students Cindy Shatto, former Olympic diver