Historic Sites of Manitoba: Dr. D. W. Penner School (121 Hazelwood Crescent, Winnipeg)

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

This Winnipeg school was approved in May 1974 and built in 1976 on designs of the local architectural firm of Pratt Lindgren Snider Tomcej and Associates. Originally given the name of Nakomis Elementary School, the steel frame and masonry facility was renamed for St. Vital School Board Chairman Donald Willis Penner. Completed at a cost of $676,000, including $36,000 from the City of Winnipeg for a larger gymnasium and shower facilities, the Kindergarten to grade six school opened in the St. Vital School Division in the Fall of 1976 with capacity for around 250 students. It was opened officially on 8 December 1976.

In 1977, the building was expanded, on a design by the same architectural firm, at an approximate cost of $400,000, thereby raising its capacity to 400 students.

It is operated by the Louis Riel School Division.

Principals

Period	Principal
1976-1981	Victoria Mosquin Olchowecki
1981-?	Simon “Cy” Nimchuk (1933-2020)
?-?	?
?-1989	Eileen Wilson
1989-2015	?
2015-?	Richard Rajotte

Teachers

No information.

Photos & Coordinates

Dr. D. W. Penner School (September 2019) Source: Rose Kuzina Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.82396, W97.10914 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Manitoba Business: Pratt Lindgren Snider Tomcej and Associates

Memorable Manitobans: Donald Willis Penner (1918-2004)

Sources:

“New school for St. Vital,” Winnipeg Free Press, 2 May 1974, page 3.

“Grant of $130,000 for schools urged,” Winnipeg Free Press, 16 July 1975, page 3.

“Tender,” Winnipeg Free Press, 6 December 1975, page 75.

“School-opening slated,” Winnipeg Free Press, 7 December 1976, page 3.

“Tenders addition to Dr. D. W. Penner Elementary School St. Vital School Division No. 6,” Winnipeg Free Press, 14 February 1977, page 139.

“St. Vital School Division No. 6,” Winnipeg Free Press, 30 November 1977, page 57.

“She’s been a fighter,” Winnipeg Free Press Weekly South Edition, 5 March 1989, page 7.

“St. Vital School Div. No. 6,” Winnipeg Free Press, 5 April 1989, page 28.

School division half-yearly attendance reports, Schedule: E 0757, Accession: GR 1196, Archives of Manitoba.

We thank Doug Humphreys and Rose Kuzina for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.

Page revised: 22 May 2023

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