Historic Sites of Manitoba: Mountbatten School No. 2308 / Mountbatten Park (3191 St. Mary’s Road, Winnipeg)

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

The Mountbatten School District was established in November 1947 and, the following year, a four-classroom, two-storey school building opened at the intersection of St. Mary’s Road and Forbes Road in south Winnipeg. It was completed at a cost of $24,000. In 1959, it became part of the St. Vital School Division. With declining student enrollment, the school closed in June 2004 and the building was demolished. In 2012, the City of Winnipeg acquired the property from the Louis Riel School Division and the site was re-opened officially as Mountbatten Park on 28 June 2014.

Principals

Period	Principal
1948-1949	A. Miller
1949-1952	Mary Hanson
1952-1954	Henry Moroz (1924-2008)
1954-1963	Donald Bruce Sealey (1927-2005)
1963-1965	Walter Stoyko
1965-1980	Auguste Laroche (1934-2000)
1980-1981	?
1981-1985	Chris Isaacs
1985-1986	J. Lovelace
1986-1990	?
1990-1993	Lucy Dooley / Jane Peck
1993-1995	E. Muzyczka
1995-1996	?
1996-2004	C. Van de Vijsel

Teachers

Period	Teachers
1948-1949	M. Cumming (grades 1-2), A. Miller (grades 3-8)
1949-1950	Mary Hanson (grades 2-5), Violet Murray (grades 1-2)
1950-1951	M. Cumming (grades 1-9), Mary Hanson (grades 1-2)
1951-1952	Mary Hanson (grades 5-8), Violet Murray (grades 1-2), L. St. Germain (grades 3-4)
1952-1953	Mary Hanson (grade 1), Henry Moroz (grades 1-9), Violet Murray (grades 4-5), L. St. Germain (grades 2-3)
1953-1954	Mary Hanson (grades 1-2), Henry Moroz (grades 6-9), Violet Murray (grades 4-5), L. St. Germain (grades 2-3)
1954-1955	Anges Graveline (grades 1-2), Rolande Plamondon (grades 4-5), Donald Bruce Sealey (grades 6-9), L. St. Germain (grades 2-3)
1955-1956	Cecile Courcellas (grades 1-2), Lilian Lanthier (grades 3-4), Donald Bruce Sealey (grades 7-10), Corinne Winstone (grades 5-6)
1956-1957	Yvonne Desrosiers (grades 3-4), Mariette Prefontaine (grades 1-2), Donald Bruce Sealey (grades 7-10), Corinne Winstone (grades 5-6)
1957-1958	Evelyne Berube (grades 1-2), Yvonne Desrosiers (grades 3-4), Dorothy Munro (grades 1-8), Donald Bruce Sealey (grades 9-10), Corinne Winstone (grades 5-6)
1958-1959	Evelyne Berube (grades 1-2), E. L’Heureux (grades 3-4), Donald Bruce Sealey (grades 7-10), Corinne Winstone (grades 5-7)
1959-1960	Evelyne Berube (grade 1), Dorothy Munro (grades 2-3), Donald Bruce Sealey (grades 5-6), Corinne Winstone (grades 4-5)
1960-1961	Shirley Bates (grades 1-2), Margaret Huta (grades 1-6), Donald Bruce Sealey (grades 5-6), Corinne Winstone (grades 4-5)
1961-1962	Shirley Bates (grades 1-6), Margaret Huta (grades 2-3), Donald Bruce Sealey (grades 5-6), Corinne Winstone (grades 4-5)
1962-1963	Margaret Huto (grades 2-3), Glenda Labman (grade 1), Donald Donald Bruce Sealey (grade 6), Corinne Winstone (grades 4-5)
1963-1964	Mary-Lou Chambers (grades 1-2), Margaret Huta (grades 2-3), Mary Sawatzky (grades 4-5), Walter Stoyko (grades 1-6)
1964-1965	Mary-Lou Chambers (grades 2-3), Mary Sawatzky (grades 4-5), June Standing (grade 1), Walter Stoyko (grades 1-6)
1965-1966	Mary-Lou Chambers (grades 2-3), Mary Sawatzky (grades 4-5), June Standing (grade 1), Auguste Laroche (grade 6)
1966-1967	Henrietta Cornies (grades 2-3), Auguste Laroche (grade 6), Lydia Thiesen (grades 4-5), June Van Arendonk (grade 1)
1967-1968	Henrietta Cornies (grades 4-5), Valerie Lynne Kjernisted (grades 2-3), Auguste Laroche (grades 5-6), June Van Arendonk (grade 1)
1968-1969	Valerie Lynne Kjernisted (grades 2-3), Auguste Laroche (grades 5-6), Arlene McClure (grades 4-5), June Van Arendonk (grades 1-2)
1969-1970	Valerie Lynne Kjernisted Beatty (grades 2-3), Auguste Laroche (grades 5-6), Arlene McClure (grades 4-5), June Van Arendonk (grades 1-2)
1970-1971	Valerie Lynne Kjernisted Beatty (grades 3-4), Glynne Critchley (grades 1-2), Auguste Laroche (grades 5-6)
1971-1972	Valerie Lynne Kjernisted Beatty (grades 3-4), Glynne Critchley (grades 1-2), Auguste Laroche (grades 5-6)
1972-1973	Valerie Lynne Kjernisted Beatty (grades 3-4), Shirley Huntley (grades 1-2), Auguste Laroche (grades 5-6)
1973-1974	Patricia “Pat” Dowsett (grades 1-2), Shirley Huntley (grades 3-4), Auguste Laroche (grades 5-6)
1974-1975	Patricia “Pat” Dowsett (grades 1-2), Shirley Huntley (grades 3-4), Auguste Laroche (grades 5-6)
1975-1976	Patricia “Pat” Dowsett (grades 1-2), Theresa Kuryk (grades 3-4), Auguste Laroche (grades 5-6)
1976-1977	Lorna Charles (grades 1-2), Theresa Kuryk (grades 3-4), Auguste Laroche (grades 5-6)
1977-1978	Lorna Charles (grades 1-2), Theresa Kuryk (grades 3-4), Auguste Laroche (grades 5-6)
1978-1979	Lorna Charles (grades 1-2), Theresa Kuryk (grades 3-4), Auguste Laroche (grades 5-6)
1979-1980	Lorna Charles (grades 1-2), Theresa Kuryk (grades 3-4), Auguste Laroche (grades 5-6)
1980-1981	Lorna Charles (grades 1-2), Theresa Kuryk (grades 3-4), ? (grades 5-6)
1981-1982	Lorna Charles (grades 1-2), Chris Isaacs (grades 5-6), Simone Bachinsky (grades 3-4)
1982-1983	Lorna Charles (grades 1-2), Chris Isaacs (grades 5-6), Simone Bachinsky (grades 3-4)
1983-1984	Lorna Charles (grades 1-2), Chris Isaacs (grades 5-6), Denise Klassen (grades 3-4)
1984-1985	Lorna Charles (grades 1-2), Chris Isaacs (grades 5-6), Denise Klassen (grades 3-4)
1985-1986	Lorna Charles (grades 1-2), Denise Klassen (grades 3-4), J. Lovelace (grades 5-6)
1986-1987	? (grades 1-6)
1987-1988	J. Lovelace (grades 3-4), ? (grades 1-2 & 5-6)
1988-1989	R. Bartel (grades 1-2), J. Lovelace (grades 3-4), ? (grades 5-6)
1989-1990	R. Bartel (grades 1-2), J. Lovelace (grades 3-4), ? (grades 5-6)
1990-1991	R. Bartel (grades 1-2), Lucy Dooley (grades 5-6), J. Lovelace (grades 3-4), Jane Peck (grades 5-6)
1991-1992	R. Bartel (grades 1-2), J. Lovelace (grades 3-4), ? (grades 5-6)
1992-1993	Lucy Dooley (grades 5-6), J. Lovelace (grades 3-4), Jane Peck (grades 5-6), J. Turner (grades 1-2)
1993-1994	E. Muzyczka (grades 5-6), J. Turner (grades 1-2), ? (grades 3-4)
1994-1995	L. Matheson (grade 3), E. Muzyczka (grade 5), J. Turner (grades 1-2)
1995-1996	? (grades 1-6)
1996-1997	L. Matheson (grades 3-4), C. Van de Vijsel (grades 5-6), ? (kindergarten - grade 2)
1997-1998	L. Matheson (grades 3-4), C. Van de Vijsel (grades 5-6), J. Turner (kindergarten - grade 2)
1998-1999	L. Matheson (grades 3-4), C. Van de Vijsel (grades 5-6), J. Turner (kindergarten - grade 2)
1999-2000	T. Cymbalist (kindergarten - grade 2), L. Matheson (grades 3-4), C. Van de Vijsel (grades 5-6)
2000-2001	? (kindergarten - grade 4), C. Van de Vijsel (grades 5-6)
2001-2002	? (kindergarten - grade 4), C. Van de Vijsel (grades 5-6)
2002-2003	? (kindergarten - grade 4), C. Van de Vijsel (grades 5-6)
2003-2004	T. Happychuk (kindergarten - grade 2), S. Powell (grades 3-4), C. Van de Vijsel (grades 5-6)

Photos & Coordinates

The former Mountbatten School building (circa 1990) Source: Historic Resources Branch, Public School Buildings Inventory, slide 869. The former Mountbatten School site, now a public park (June 2019) Source: Rose Kuzina Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.76956, W97.12792 denoted by symbol on the map above

Sources:

One Hundred Years in the History of the Rural Schools of Manitoba: Their Formation, Reorganization and Dissolution (1871-1971) by Mary B. Perfect, MEd thesis, University of Manitoba, April 1978.

“No other school like Mountbatten,” Winnipeg Free Press Community Review Northeast, 24 February 1999, page 5.

“Tiny city school shines in a big way,” Winnipeg Free Press, 24 December 2003, page 8.

“Classes out for final time at tiny Mountbatten School,” Winnipeg Free Press, 2 July 2004, page 21.

“School’s out forever," Winnipeg Free Press 14 April, wfp Winnipeg Neighbours South, page 1.

“Memories live on for beloved school," Winnipeg Free Press, 26 April 2004, page B7.

Obituary [Valerie Lynne Beatty], Winnipeg Free Press, 7 March 2012, page C9.

“Mountbatten Park now official open after refurbishment,” Winnipeg Free Press / The Lance, 5 August 2014.

“New city parks opens in Winnipeg’s south end,” Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 28 July 2014.

We thank the Le Centre du patrimoine of La Société historique de Saint-Boniface and Rose Kuzina for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Nathan Kramer.

Page revised: 20 July 2019

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