Historic Sites of Manitoba: Britannia School No. 1517 / Britannia School (361 Hampton Street, Winnipeg)

Link to:
Principals | Vice-Principals | Teachers | Photos & Coordinates | Sources

The Britannia School District was established formally in November 1909 within St. James (now part of Winnipeg). Designed by local architect Eldred Dodsworth Tuttle and built in 1910, the original six-room brick and stone school cost around $65,000 and was officially opened by the Education Minister George Robson Coldwell on 6 January 1911. It was subsequently expanded on Tuttle’s designs in 1912 at a cost of a further $85,000, and officially re-opened by Coldwell in the spring of 1913. The enlarged building featured its own 235 feet deep well along with waterworks and sewage system, the latter ending in a large $2,000 septic tank. Other modern amenities included a robust air ventilation system, electric lighting, and a May-Oatway automatic fire alarm system.

In March 1917, the district and its catchment area were amalgamated into the St. James School District No. 7 and high school grades transferred to St. James High School. Further additions were built in the 1950s and an annex containing classrooms and an auditorium was designed by the architectural firm of Smith Carter Searle and Associates and built between 1960 and 1961.

The school became part of the Assiniboine North School Division and eventually closed in June 1979. It was later demolished, its function being replaced by the nearby Stevenson-Britannia School. The former annex is still being used as a private daycare facility.

Principals

Period	Principal
1910-1911	George James Elliott (1868-1948)
1911-1916	Edward Sandford Lord (1869-1922)
1916-1926	Earl Augustus Ross (1890-?)
1926-1930	Clarence Moore (1884-1977)
1930-1951	Robert Cecil Paris (1885-1964)
1951-1961	Harold Edwin Richard Murphy (1894-1975)
1961-1966	Walter Alvin Smith Green (1918-2004)
1966-1978	Paul Pura (1914-1999)
1978-1979	William Theodore “Bill” Betz (1936-2022)

Vice-Principals

Period	Vice-Principal
1955-1956	Miss Mildred Horne
1956-1969	?
1969-1973	Miss M. Alexander
1973-1977	?
1977-1978	Lawson Tarbuth

Teachers

School Year	Teachers
1910	George James Elliott (senior grades), Millie P. Hellsman? (junior grades, Spring), Annie L. Mitt (junior grades, Fall)
1911	Agnes M. Ashforth (Fall), George James Elliott (senior grade, Spring), Vera Graham, Florence Mary Le Neveu (Spring, mother of Jack Le Neveu), Edward Sandford Lord (senior grade, Fall), Annie L. Mitt, Irene S. Nelson, Margaret L. Reid (Fall), Elfreda Pearl Rundle (Fall), Margaret Thomson Wilson (Spring)
1912	Spring Only): Agnes M. Ashforth, Vera Graham, Florence Mary Le Neveu, Edward Sandford Lord (senior grade), Irene S. Nelson, Margaret L. Reid, Elfreda Pearl Rundle, Margaret Thomson Wilson
1912-1913	Agnes M. Ashforth (Fall), Laurie A. Davidson, A. Luella Day, M. Ethel Johnson, Florence Mary Le Neveu, Edward Sandford Lord (senior grade), Janet Gibson Morton, Irene S. Nelson, Margaret L. Reid, Mary Wardle (Spring), Margaret Thomson Wilson, Sara M. Wood (Spring)
1913-1914	A. Luella Day, Bertha Foster, Margaret Garland, Cora Blanche Hart, Mabel Johnson (Spring), Florence Mary Le Neveu, Edward Sandford Lord (senior grade), Janet Gibson Morton, Irene S. Nelson (Fall), Queenie Pelkey (Fall), Margaret M. Thom, Mary Wardle, Irene S. Wilson (Spring), Margaret Thomson Wilson, Sarah Mahan Wood
1914-1915	Winnifred M. Bloomer, Mary C. Campbell, Florence Eck, Margaret Garland, Mabel A. Jephson? (Spring), Mabel Johnson (Fall), Ethel Kelly, Luella Pearl Lane, Florence Mary Le Neveu, Edward Sandford Lord (senior grade), Janet Gibson Morton, Elsie M. Parker, Queenie Pelkey, Beth Pinkerton, Margaret Thomson Wilson, Sarah Mahan Wood
1915-1916	Winnifred M. Bloomer (grade 5), Clara O. Boyd (grade 1, October-June), Mary C. Campbell (grade 5), K? Dowler (domestic science, Fall), Alice R. Fulz (grade 1), May E. Gadway (grades 1-2, August-December; grade 2, January-June), Margaret Garland (grade 1, August-December; grades 1-2, January-June), Dorothy R. George (grade 5), Ethel Kelly (grade 3), Bessie J. Langille (grade 3), Florence Mary Le Neveu (grade 8), Edward Sandford Lord (grade 10), Janet Gibson Morton (grade 9), Nellie M. McLean (grade 1), R. W. Northmore? (manual training, Fall), Elsie M. Parker (grade 1, August-October), Beth Pinkerton (grade 4), Mary C. Playford (grade 1), Mary Wardle (grade 1, January-June), Margaret Thomson Wilson (grade 7), Sarah Mahan Wood (grade 6)
1916-1917	Agnes Miller Ashforth (grade 2), Clara O. Boyd (grade 1, August-December; grades 1-2, January-June), Retta Brown (grade 1, August-May & May-June), Winifred Caldwell (grade 1, February-March & May-June), Annie Estella Charlton (grade 1), May E. Gadway (grade 2, August-December; grades 2-3, January-June), Dorothy R. George (grade 4), A. Finch (grade 1, January-February), Anna Selina Fisher (grade 2), Gertrude I. Gardiner (grade 4, January-June), Lilian E. Lamb (grade 3), Florence Mary Le Neveu (grade 8), Mrs. I. Macgregor (grade 5), Janet Gibson Morton (grades 9-10), Mary C. Playford (grade 4), Mary A. Rose (grade 5, January-June), Winnifred E. Smith (grade 6, January-June), Jean Stewart (grade 1, January-June), Rita M. Van Blaricon (grade 5), Mary Wardle (grade 1), Alice C. Willett (grade 4), Margaret Thomson Wilson (grade 7), Sarah Mahan Wood (grade 6), Edith M. Wright (grade 4)
1917-1918	Agnes Miller Ashforth (grade 1), Clara O. Boyd (grade 1), M. Elva Boyle (grades 1-2), Winifred Caldwell (grade 1), Annie Estella Charlton (grade 1), Josephine Devitt (grade 3), Anna Selina Fisher (grade 2), May E. Gadway (grade 3), Dorothy R. George (grade 5), Mary I. Irwin (grade 3), Lilian E. Lamb (grade 4), Elsie Mary Packer (grade 2), Mary C. Playford (grade 4), Mary A. Rose (grade 6), Winnifred E. Smith (grade 6), Rita M. Van Blaricon (grade 5), Edith M. Wright (grade 5)
1918-1919	?
1919-1920	?
1920-1921	?
1921-1922	?
1922-1923	?
1923-1924	?
1924-1925	?
1925-1926	?
1926-1927	?
1927-1928	?
1928-1929	?
1929-1930	?
1930-1931	?
1931-1932	?
1932-1933	?
1933-1934	?
1934-1935	?
1935-1936	?
1936-1937	?
1937-1938	?
1938-1939	?
1939-1940	?
1940-1941	?
1941-1942	?
1942-1943	?
1943-1944	?
1944-1945	?
1945-1946	?
1946-1947	?
1947-1948	?
1948-1949	?
1949-1950	?
1950-1951	?
1951-1952	?
1952-1953	?
1953-1954	?
1954-1955	?
1955-1956	Miss Margaret Alexander, Miss Shelagh Bolin, Miss Mary Brennan, Miss Charlotte Cooper, Ruby Marian Douglas, Lorraine Fargey (wife of Lyall Evert Sims), Miss Ethel Ferguson, Miss Hope Graham, Miss Genevieve Grudeski, Miss Evelyn Haddad, Gordon Haddad, Glen Hanna, Mrs. Hermine Hinds, Miss Marlene Johnson, Miss Marguerite King, Mrs. Doris Line, Mrs. Violet Lobban, Miss Martha Loewen, Harry Martin, Mrs. Helen McColl, Miss Sophia Moffett, Mrs. Myrtle Moorhead, Miss Pearl Privat, Miss Grace Roberts, Miss Jessie Rogers, Lyall E. Sims, Miss Nancy Smith, Miss Nellie White, Miss Jean Wilk
1956-1957	?
1957-1958	?
1958-1959	?
1959-1960	?
1960-1961	?
1961-1962	?
1962-1963	?
1963-1964	?
1964-1965	?
1965-1966	?
1966-1967	?
1967-1968	?
1968-1969	?
1969-1970	?
1970-1971	?
1971-1972	?
1972-1973	?
1973-1974	?
1974-1975	?
1975-1976	?
1976-1977	?
1977-1978	?
1978-1979	?

Among the other teachers who worked at Britannia School through the year were William H. Van Sickle and Sadie B. Gillies (circa 1932).

Photos & Coordinates

Postcard view of Britannia School (November 1913) by Lyall Commercial Photo Company Source: Gordon Goldsborough, 2012-0165 Aerial view of Britannia School (1923) by Royal Canadian Air Force Source: Archives of Manitoba, Surveys Branch aerial photographs (A 0262), GR11610, FA 23 - 51. Postcard view of Britannia School (no date) Source: Rob McInnes, WP0097 Britannia School (1945) Source: Archives of Manitoba, George Harris Fonds, Acc. 1979-141, P7451, Album 14, Page 31 Britannia School (1974) Source: St. James - Assiniboia School Division The former Britannia School annex (May 2020) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.88611, W97.21177 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Stevenson School / Stevenson-Britannia School (1777 Silver Avenue, Winnipeg)

Sources:

“Tenders,” Manitoba Free Press, 19 April 1910, page 2.

“Local paragraphs [Britannia School reopening],” Winnipeg Tribune, 13 August 1910, page 5.

“Local briefs [Britannia School progress],” Winnipeg Tribune, 27 September 1910, page 5.

“Norwood teachers hold convention,” Winnipeg Tribune, 19 November 1910, page 10.

“Local notes [A well attended teachers’ conference ...],” Manitoba Free Press, 21 November 1910, page 3.

“Local notes [Good progress is being made ...],” Manitoba Free Press, 14 December 1910, page 14.

“Britannia School opens tomorrow,” Winnipeg Tribune, 5 January 1911, page 2.

“Local notes [The official opening of the Britannia School ...],” Manitoba Free Press, 6 January 1911, page 13.

“School trustees’ annual meeting,” Winnipeg Tribune, 8 December 1911, page 11.

“Britannia School District No. 1517 - Tender,” Manitoba Free Press, 13 April 1912, page 39.

“School work prospers,” Winnipeg Tribune, 4 May 1912, page 9.

“Britannia School, St. James,” Manitoba Free Press, 15 February 1913, page 11.

“New head of school appointed,” Manitoba Free Press, 2 June 1916, page 19.

“Address List, Municipal School District of St. James No. 7,” St. James Assiniboia School Division.

“Tender notice,” Winnipeg Free Press, 3 December 1960, page 56.

“Britannia School official opening for Thursday,” Winnipeg Free Press, 28 November 1961, page 3.

“It’s Rule Britannia in St. James Friday,” Winnipeg Free Press, 12 April 1962, page 3.

“Doors of old Britannia School to be closed at end of school term,” Winnipeg Free Press, 25 January 1979, page 147.

Summative half-yearly returns for school districts (A 0051), GR0571, Archives of Manitoba.

School division and school district formation files (E 0027), Britannia School District No. 1517, GR1688, Archives of Manitoba.

School division half-yearly attendance reports (E 0757), Archives of Manitoba.

Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada, 1800-1950 by Robert G. Hill, Toronto.

Henderson’s Winnipeg and Brandon Directories, Peel’s Prairie Provinces, University of Alberta Libraries.

We thank the St. James - Assiniboia School Division for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Nathan Kramer.

Page revised: 24 May 2023

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