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​Historical Focus on Public Schools in St. James-Assiniboia ​

March 18, 2022
SchoositesSJASD.jpgThe history of public schools in the St. James-Assiniboia School Division provides an interesting perspective on the growth and changing needs of our community over the years. 
 
Assiniboine School on the eastern side of the Division will soon be celebrating its 100th anniversary, with its construction completed in October 1922. The building with the brick and limestone trim has stood the test of time, unlike some schools that were constructed in other parts of the Division, which have had to be closed or repurposed mainly due to the changing demographics of the area. 
 
The first school in the western part of the Division (at one time in the RM of Assiniboia) was Sturgeon Creek School No. 30. By 1949, the 45-year-old building showed its age and needed to be replaced. Filled to capacity, an additional 80 students attended classes in the Sturgeon Creek Municipal Hall (today, the Historical Museum of St. James-Assiniboia) across the road. 
 
Construction of what became known as Kirkfield Park School #1 began in 1949 but was delayed by the 1950 Winnipeg flood and other factors. The four-classroom stucco structure was completed around mid-September 1950. 

Built-in 1953 just west of School #1, at the corner of School Road and Portage Avenue, Kirkfield Park School #2 was opened in September 1953. The eight-classroom facility initially had around 260 pupils. A four-classroom addition was built two years later. Grades 1 and 2 were held in School #1, while older grades were in School #2. 
 
Fast forward to 1990, the school was closed. The building and property were put up for sale by the school board in 1993, and the building was demolished. The site is presently occupied by a large supermarket and its parking lot. 
 
On a site just across Portage Avenue, Lincoln School was built in 1958 to host students in grades 9 to 12. Two years later, high school students were moved to the newly-built Westwood Collegiate, and Lincoln received students in grades 4 to 8. In September 1963, primary students who previously attended Kirkfield Park School were moved to Lincoln School, which now accommodated grades 1 to 8. Eventually, as the student population declined in the area, the Division reconfigured the school as a middle school serving grades 6-8. 
 
Further to the west, the Division commenced construction of Allard School in the spring of 1966 to serve the new and burgeoning suburb of Westwood. The school opened in February 1967. The building had 24 classrooms for classes from Kindergarten to grade 6, a large gymnasium, and a library. As the community matured, the student population in the area declined significantly, and the school was one of several in the area subject to review and possible closure. In 1986 Allard School was closed, and the building was renovated for use by the Winnipeg Police Academy. It also hosted the Winnipeg Police Museum until its move to the police headquarters in downtown Winnipeg. The building is currently vacant, and the Division has passed a motion to dispose of the property as per its disposition process set to commence later this year. 
 
While the pace of school closings has slowed, the Division continues to monitor enrollment projections to ensure future needs are met. With current student enrollment at about 9,000 students, the future is bright for schools in the St. James-Assiniboia School Division. 

-Bruce Chegus, Trustee
Kirkfield/St. Charles


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