School History

From the early 1940’s to 1957, Garnet McKenzie and Elmer Smith (fondly known as Pat and Smitty to those who knew them well) worked side-by-side as the Grade 7 and 8 teachers at Acton Public School (now known as Robert Little Public School).  Garnet McKenzie later became the Principal of Acton Public School. 

In 1957, Elmer Smith was appointed as Principal of the newly opened M.Z. Bennett School (M.Z. Bennett was named after Mini Bennett who had been Principal of the school for a number of years). 

In 1977, the new Acton District High School was built and the old Acton High School, situated beside M.Z. Bennett PS, became a middle school.  The middle school was named McKenzie-Smith Bennett PS in honour of Garnet McKenzie and Elmer Smith. 

The McKenzie-Smith Bennett name was given to the school when the two schools, M.Z. Bennett, a Kindergarten to Grade 5 school, and McKenzie-Smith, a grade 6 to 8 school, were joined together in the mid-1990’s.