Historic Sites of Manitoba: River East Collegiate (295 Sutton Avenue, Winnipeg)

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

The River East Collegiate was built in 1960 based on designs of the Winnipeg architectural firm of Ward and Macdonald. It opened to students on 20 December 1960, who had previously been attending staggered classes at the East St. Paul Collegiate. The River East School Division facility, built at a cost of $508,970, had 15 classrooms, auditorium/gymnasium, commercial rooms, home economics rooms, shops, and an assortment of additional rooms. It was opened officially on 27 February 1961. The original structure was expanded greatly in 1963, adding 20 classrooms, two commercial rooms, one laboratory, and increased automotive shops space. The expanded facility opened in late November 1963.

In June 1990, the River East Collegiate Student Association erected a monument in front of the school in honour of late Principal J. Bruce Brown.

Principals

Period	Principal
1956-1957	James Edwin Scarrow (1902-1982)
1957-1961	?
1961-1981	Alexander J. “Alex” Smaluk (c1921-2016)
1981-1985	James Bruce Brown (1939-1985)
1985-?	?
?-1998	Lauren Cartwright
1998-?
?-?	William “Bill” Welsh (1936-2017)
?-2015	?
2015-?	D. Posthumus

Vice-Principals

Period	Vice-Principal
1956-1957	Mr. C. E. Douglas
1957-1968	?
1968-1969	Mrs. C. Cook Donald Ross “Don” McMaster
1969-1970	?
1970-1971	Mr. J. B. Brown Mr. J. Degen
1971-1976	?
1976-1978	Mr. H. J. Dick Mr. W. Wawrykow
?-?	Joseph Anthony “Joe” Degen (1929-2016)

Teachers

School Year	Teachers
1956-1957	Mr. P. Enns, Mr. L. E. Gendron, Mrs. M. E. Lee, Mr. W. J. MacNab, Miss S. Mandziuk, Mr. G. Michalchuk, Miss J. W. Milton, Mrs. M. I. Redgwell, Mrs. N. M. Reese, Miss P. R. Taylor, Mr. R. J. Wilson
1957-1958
1958-1959
1959-1960
1960-1961
1961-1962	Peter Jacob Olchowecki, ?
1962-1963	Peter Jacob Olchowecki, ?
1963-1964	Peter Jacob Olchowecki, ?
1964-1965	Peter Jacob Olchowecki, ?
1965-1966	Peter Jacob Olchowecki, ?
1966-1967	Lawrence Paul Huska, Peter Jacob Olchowecki, ?
1967-1968	Lawrence Paul Huska, Peter Jacob Olchowecki, ?
1968-1969	Mrs. C. A. Beek, Mr. G. C. Bell, Miss E. Berthaudin, Mr. D. M. Botting, Mr. J. B. Brown, Mrs. P. Budyk, Mrs. M. R. Campbell, Mr. A. N. Cooper, Joseph Anthony “Joe” Degen (guidance), Mrs. I. de Graff, Miss N. A. Dyck, Mrs. G. D. Fast, Mr. J. R. Fast, Mr. D. Friesen, Mr. J. I. Friesen, Mr. J. Froese, Mr. E. Gilroy, Mr. L. G. Goodman, Mrs. Goodspeed, Mr. A. D. Gregor, Miss D. Head, Lawrence Paul Huska, Mr. Ilavsky (guidance), Mr. F. Kahler, Miss S. Klassen, Mr. W. Klassen, Mr. J. Koshelanyk, Miss L. C. Madill, Miss Magnusson (guidance), Mr. B. McKinnon, Miss D. J. Moroz, Mr. R. G. Morris, Mrs. B. A. Nelson, Mrs. O'Connor, Miss E. O'Gorman, Peter Jacob Olchowecki, Mr. J. S. Oliver, Mrs. E. Pankiewicz, Mr. G. Pankiewicz, Mr. C. S. Pattle, Mr. R. Peniuk, Mr. P. Peters, Miss S. Porth, Mrs. J. G. Poudrier, Mr. P. Prystupa, Mr. Reeves, Mr. J. Regher, Mr. H. Rempel, Mrs. Roy, Mr. H. Schroeder, Mr. P. J. Spencer, Mrs. N. Staska, Mr. W. Staska, Harold Melville Stinson, Mr. G. Strempler, Mr. K. L. Sturk, Mr. L. B. Syrnick, Mr. N. W. Trevenen, Mrs. J. Unruh, Hendrikus “Henry” Visch, Mrs. J. Wawrykow, Mr. W. Wawrykow, Miss Young (librarian)
1969-1970	Lawrence Paul Huska, Peter Jacob Olchowecki, ?
1970-1971	Mrs. C. A. Beek, Mr. G. C. Bell, Miss E. Berthaudin, Mr. J. Bitchok, Mr. G. W. Bochinski, Mr. D. W. Botting, Mrs. P. A. Budyk, Mr. A. M. Cooper, Mr. H. Dick, Miss N. A. Dyck, Mrs. G. D. Fast, Mr. J. R. Fast, Mr. D. Friesen, Mr. J. I. Friesen, Mr. P. Friesen, Mrs. J. L. Froese, Mr. W. Funk, Mr. E. H. Gilroy, Miss S. G. Greening, Miss M. D. Head, Lawrence Paul Huska, Mr. J. Kasdorf, Mr. W. Klassen, Mr. J. Koshelanyk, Mr. K. J. Krawchuk, Mr. M. J. Krochak, Mr. E. J. Kuch, Mrs. G. L. Lakusiak, Miss L. C. Madill, Mr. B. McKinnon, Mrs. S. McLachlan, Miss D. J. Moroz, Mr. R. G. Morris, Mrs. B. A. Nelson, Miss O’Gorman, Peter Jacob Olchowecki, Mr. J. S. Oliver, Mrs. E. Pankiewicz, Mr. G. Pankiewicz, Mr. C. S. Pattle, Mr. R. Peniuk, Miss S. Porth, Mrs. J. G. Poudrier, Mr. P. Prystupa, Mr. D. M. Reed, Mr. J. Regehr, Mr. H. Rempel, Mr. L. W. Ruppel, Miss H. J. Rutherford, Mr. H. Schellenberg, Mr. H. E. Schroeder, Mr. D. A. Sernyk, Mr. Smith, Mr. P. J. Spencer, Mrs. N. Staska, Mr. W. Staska, Miss H. Sukkau, Mr. Z. B. Syrnick, Mr. N. W. Trevenen, Mrs. J. Unruh, Mr. W. Wawrykow
1971-1972	Lawrence Paul Huska, Peter Jacob Olchowecki, ?
1972-1973	Lawrence Paul Huska, Peter Jacob Olchowecki, ?
1973-1974	Peter Jacob Olchowecki, ?
1974-1975	?
1975-1976	?
1976-1977	Mr. Berger, Mr. D. Blais, Mr. Bochinski, Mr. Bradshaw, Mrs. Bradshaw, Mrs. Brocki, Mr. Carter, Miss Dale, Mr. Dentry, Miss Dyck, Mr. E. Dyck, Mr. Fast, Mr. Friesen, Mrs. Gamble, Miss Greening, Mr. Harvey, Mr. Kells, Miss Klassen, Mr. Klassen, Mr. Koshelanyk, Mr. Kozak, Miss Kran, Mr. Krawchuk, Mr. Krochak, Miss Laurie, Lynn Mattisen, Mr. McBurney, Mr. Metcalfe, Miss Moroz, Mr. Neil, Mr. Olfert, Mr. Oystryk, Mr. Pattle, Mr. Peniuk, Mr. Pomarenski, Mrs. Popeski, Mr. Puttaert, Mrs. Puttaert, Mrs. Redekop, Mr. Regehr, Mr. Rempel, Mrs. Rempel, Mr. Ruppel, Mr. Scheer, Mr. Schellenberg, Mr. Schroeder, Mrs. Schurek, Mr. Scott, Mr. Shaw, Mr. Spencer, Mr. Staska, Mrs. Stoesz, Mr. Sutton, Mr. Syrnick, Mrs. Tegg, Mr. Tucker, Mrs. Vensel, Mr. Wiebe, Mr. Wilson, Mrs. Woolison, Mrs. Zubrycki, Mr. Zybrycki
1977-1978	Mr. W. Berger, Mr. Blais, Mr. Bochinski, Mr. Bradshaw, Mrs. Bradshaw, Mrs. Brochi, Mr. Carter, Miss Dale, Mr. Dentry, Mr. E. V. Dyck, Miss N. A. Dyck, Mr. Esselmont, Mr. Fast, Mr. Friesen, Mrs. Gamble, Miss Greening, Mrs. Harvey, Mr. Kells, Miss S. Klassen, Mr. B. Klassen, Mr. Koshelanyk, Mr. Kozak, Miss Kran, Mr. Krawchuk, Mr. Krochak, Miss Laurie, Miss Mathers, Mr. McBurney, Mr. Metcalfe, Miss Miller, Miss Moroz, Mr. Neil, Mr. Olfert, Mr. Oystryk, Mr. Pattle, Mr. Peniuk, Mr. Pomarenski, Mrs. Popeski, Mr. Puttaert, Mrs. Puttaert, Mrs. Quinton, Mrs. Redekop, Mr. Regehr, Mr. Rempel, Mrs. Rempel, Mr. Staska, Mrs. Stoesz, Miss Sutton, Mr. Sutton, Mr. Syrnick, Mr. Tucker, Mr. Wiebe, Mr. Wilson, Mr. Zubrycki
1978-1997	?
1997-1998	Mrs. Bistyak, Mr. Blais, Mr. Bochinski, Mr. Bohardt, Mr. Chartrand, Mr. Clark, Ms. Doell, Miss Drzystek, Ms. Ens, Mr. Esselmont, Mr. Fast, Mr. Gagne, Mr. Graham, Mr. Habing, Ms. Harris, Mr. Harvey, Mr. Hildebrandt, Mr. Janz, Mr. Kasian, Mr. Koshelanyk, Ms. Kraemer, Ms. Kraemer, Miss Kran, Mr. Krawchuk, Mrs. Mackay, Mrs. MacLaren, Mr. Magnifico, Ms. Markusa, Mrs. Marsland, Miss Mathers, Mr. Matte, Mr. McBurney, Mrs. Miller, Mr. Mohammed, Mr. Munro, Mr. Neil, Mr. Neufeld, Ms. Neumann, Mr. Oystryk, Mr. Panas, Mr. Pedersen, Mrs. Powell, Mrs. Pura, Mr. Puttaert, Mrs. Ramsay, Mr. Redekopp, Miss Richardson, Mrs. Ridd, Mr. Ruppel, Mr. Shaw, Ms. Skublics, Mr. Sparkes, Mr. Stankevicius, Mrs. Stephens, Mr. Struch, Mr. Sutton, Mrs. Tate, Mr. Tucker, Mrs. Vukets

Photos & Coordinates

Entrance to River East Collegiate with commemorative monument for Principal J. Bruce Brown (October 2015) Source: Nathan Kramer Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.94304, W97.08108 denoted by symbol on the map above

Sources:

“River East School Division No. 9,” Winnipeg Free Press, 23 November 1960, page 29.

[Photo caption], Winnipeg Free Press, 25 February 1961, page 6.

“Know your Principal,” Winnipeg Free Press, 13 May 1964 page 3.

“Male lead Mike finds lost chord,” Winnipeg Free Press, 24 February 1967, page 21.

“Students not rushing to bars at noon, Syms says,” Winnipeg Free Press, 15 March 1977, page 4.

“Staggered classes set at East St. Paul Collegiate,” Winnipeg Free Press, 28 August 1960, page 48.

“River East School Division No. 9 public notice,” Winnipeg Free Press, 29 September 1962, page 36.

“Many suburban acclamations but bylaws may lure voters,” Winnipeg Free Press, 23 October 1962, page 3.

“Tenders - addition to River East Collegiate,” Winnipeg Free Press, 15 February 1963, page 36.

“New River East Collegiate addition opening Friday,” [newspaper clipping], November 1963. Jim Smith / MMC Alumni.

We thank Jim Daher and Peter Dyck for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer and Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 15 January 2022

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