Historic Sites of Manitoba: Pembina Crest School / Winnipeg Technical College / Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology (1551 Pembina Hwy, Winnipeg)

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

In October 1952, Grandin School closed and its students were transferred to the newly-built replacement, Pembina Crest School. The $113,000 facility hosted grades 1 to 11. Doors opened to 290 students on 22 October 1952 and the school, with interior walls painted in pastel colours, was officially opened on 30 October by Education Minister W. C. Miller. Also speaking at the event were Chief Inspector C. K. Rogers, Education Deputy Minster R. O. MacFarlane, school inspectors Hugh Connolly and A. A. MacDonald, J. Van Belleghem, Fort Garry Mayor L. R. Fennell, Fort Garry School District Chair G. Wilson Rattray, Principal J. A. Peterson, and Grandin Home and School Association President J. Rogers.

In 1954, two classrooms were added at a cost of $20,500 on designs of Winnipeg architect D. A. Ross, boosting student capacity to 450. In 1961, five classrooms, a library, and gymnasium were added on plans of Smith, Carter, Searle Associates at a cost of $170,000 and opened by Education Deputy Minster B. S. Bateman on 17 October 1961. A steel frame and masonry add-on to the school was added by designs of Pratt, Lindgren, Snider, Tomcej, and Associates in 1971.

In the spring of 1956, the local School Board fired two teachers and Principal H. A. Bathgate, prompting the remaining eleven teachers to resign in protest. The dismissals would later found to be improper and withdrawn, though the staff affected opted not to return. By the 1970s, elementary grade students were transferred to Ralph Maybank School when Pembina Crest School shifted its focus to high school grades.

In 1990, the school converted to a single-track French immersion program and closed within a few years. The building was rented by the Alhijra Islamic School, the first Islamic school in Manitoba, during the 1996-1997 school year and hosted grades K to 3. The South Winnipeg Technical Centre then acquired the building, operating it as the Winnipeg Technical College into 2014 when it was renamed the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology.

Attendance records for Pembina Crest School are held at the Archives of Manitoba.

Principals

Period	Principal
1952-1953	John Alexius Peterson (c1885-1959)
1953-1956	Harold Arthur Bathgate (1904-1983)
1956-1958	George Florence (1884-1977)
1958-1968	Frank P. Giesbrecht
1968-1973	Bryant Moloy Hasker (1932-1999)
1973-1985	?
1985-1986	Gerald Allen Neynoe MacLeod (1943-2021)
1986-1988	?
1988-1989	Guy Lacroix
1989-?	?

Teachers

Among the teachers of Pembina Crest School were Celine Thuot and George Florence (1956-1958).

Photos & Coordinates

Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology (June 2019) Source: Rose Kuzina Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.83294, W97.15135 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Grandin School No. 1024 (1750 Pembina Highway, Winnipeg)

Sources:

“Pastel rooms replace log school over river,” Winnipeg Free Press, 31 October 1952, page 3.

“Nine to run for Grandin School Board,” Winnipeg Free Press, 20 December 1952, page 3.

“School District of Grandin No. 1024,” Winnipeg Free Press, 17 March 1954, page 25.

“Pembina Crest School addition begun,” Winnipeg Free Press, 4 May 1954, page 3.

“Two new supermarkets planned for Fort Garry,” Winnipeg Free Press, 15 September 1954, page 3.

“Small vote beats Grandin School Bylaw,” Winnipeg Free Press, 7 May 1955, page 3.

“School loses all teachers,” Winnipeg Free Press, 31 May 1956, page 3.

“Hint contract breach in Grandin case,” Winnipeg Free Press, 7 June 1956, page 44.

“Dismissal withdrawn, teachers quit anyways,” Winnipeg Free Press, 12 June 1956, page 3.

“Suburbs ask voters to spend $2 million,” Winnipeg Free Press, 15 October 1960, page 3.

“Notice of tender,” Winnipeg Free Press, 24 March 1961, page 15.

“Tea will accompany Fort Garry opening,” Winnipeg Free Press, 14 October 1961, page 17.

“Tenders additions and alterations Pembina Crest School,” Winnipeg Free Press, 10 January 1970, page 50.

“School bus pickup zone on busy street draws criticism,” Winnipeg Free Press, 20 October 1977, page 45.

“Fort Garry School Division,” Winnipeg Free Press, 21 April 1990, page 42.

“Keeping their kids on Muslim path,” Winnipeg Free Press, 20 July 1996, page 9.

“New location sought for Islamic school,” Winnipeg Free Press, 5 July 1997, page A6.

“New name, new role for Winnipeg Technical College announced,” Winnipeg Free Press, 23 April 2014.

We thank Rose Kuzina for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.

Page revised: 6 July 2019

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