Historic Sites of Manitoba: North Ward School / Victoria School / Ruth Hooker School (430 Morris Avenue, Selkirk)

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

Located along Selkirk’s Superior Avenue, North Ward School was built in the Selkirk School District (later Lord Selkirk School Division) in 1906 to accommodate recent and substantial residential development in that area. Originally envisioned as a facility to match the Central School in size, it was proposed to have around eight classrooms and to cost about $11,000. A 1907 report described a scaled-down facility of four classrooms. In 1909, district voters overwhelmingly approved a grade re-alignment, also affecting South Ward School and Central School, whereby North Ward School was changed to host primary and grade 1 in one classroom, and grades 2, 3 and 8 in a second classroom. Around 1920, the North Ward School was renamed Victoria School. It was expanded in 1930 and 1952.

Backing onto Victoria School, Ruth Hooker School was built along Morris Avenue in 1958. Named for Chair of the Selkirk School Board Ruth Caroline Moody Hooker, the building initially had four classrooms and an office/teachers room. In 1965, it was enlarged on a design by the Winnipeg architectural firm of Waisman Ross Blankstein Coop Gillmor Hanna Associates.

Victoria School and Ruth Hooker School operated separately though the 1967-1968 school year, after which they became the Victoria - Ruth Hooker School (1968-1971), then Ruth Hooker School (1971-1972). The original North Ward School building no longer stands at the site.

Principals (North Ward School / Victoria School)

Period	Principal
1907-?	Edward Arthur Bathgate [Batke] (1887-1961)
?-1913	?
1913-1914	Peter Robert Loutit (1878-1961)
1915-1920	?
1920-1922	Elizabeth Blanche Teeter “Betha” Moody (1886-1971)
1922-1932	?
1932-1947	Amy Adelaide Ditch Browning (1893-1981)
1947-1948	H. J. McDonald
1948-1956	Allan Alexander “Andy” Anderson (1892-1981)
1956-1968	Gladys Kathleen McQueen (1906-1978)

Principals (Ruth Hooker School)

Period	Principal
1958-1962	Margaret Ellen Eames (1904-1962)
1962-?	?
?-?	Tony Maksymyk (1925-2007)
?-1968	?
1968-?	Steven Lawrence “Steve” Banera (1933-2018)
?-1980	?
1980-1985	Oakley Southern
1985-1989	Barry Kuly
1989-1992	Bob Jesson
1992-1999	Sharon Chanas
1999-2004	Gayle Halliwell
2004-2007	?
2007	Kerry Skarban
2007-2009	?
2009-2014	Tamara DeiCont
2014-?	Ms. L. McGillivray

Teachers (partial lists)

School Year	Teachers
1913-1914	Miss Thorlackson
1920-1921	4 teachers
1921-1922	Miss Anderson, Mrs. Finnsson, Miss Nixon, Miss Tester
1932-1933	Miss N. Bird, Miss D. Daly, Lottie Olafson, Rose Shline
1933-1934 (incomplete)	Lottie Olafson
1935-1936	Miss N. Bird, Alice Daly, Miss E. McKay, Miss A. Neville, Rose Shline
1936-1937	Miss N. Bird, Alice Daly, Miss E. McKay, Miss A. Neville, Rose Shline
1937-1938	Miss N. Bird, Alice Daly, Mr. T. Harriott, Miss E. McKay, Rose Shline
1939-1940	Ethel Bird, Alice Daly, Mr. T. Harriott, Sophie Olafson, Nita Romanche (sewing), Rose Shline
1940-1941	Ethel Bird, Alice Daly, Mr. T. Harriott, Miss J. McConnell, Nita Romanche (sewing), Rose Shline
1941-1942	Ethel Bird, Alice Daly, S. Olafson, Mrs. E. L. Reid, Nita Romanche (sewing), Rose Shline
1942-1943	Alice Daly, Mrs. E. L. Reid, Miss E. D. Persoage, Nita Romanche, Rose Shline
1943-1944	Alice Daly, Mrs. Munson, Miss E. Persoage, Rose Shline
1944-1945	Alice Daly, Mrs. A. Munson, Miss E. D. Persoage, Nita Romanche, Rose Shline
1945-1946	Alice Daly, Mrs. M. Munson, Miss E. Persoage, Nita Romanche (sewing and handwork), Rose Shline
1946-1947	Mrs. A. A. Browning (grade 6), Alice Daly (grade 2), Miss I. Howelko (grade 1), Kathleen McQueen (grade 4), Rose Shline (grade 3), Miss C. Tricker (grade 5), Miss W. Wotton (sewing)
1947-1948	Alice Daly, Rose Shline, Miss L. Sawchuk (home making), Miss A. Simpson, Ruth Swanson
1949-1950	Miss Elsie Baird, Alice Daly, Miss F. M. Giasson, Miss P. Klym, Rose Shline, Miss A. Simpson, Ruth Swanson
1950-1951	Elsie Baird, Alice Daly, Pauline Klym, Jean Labossiere, Lucille Manaigre, Rose Schline, Ruth Swanson
1951-1952	Alice Daly, Mrs. E. Dewar, Miss P. Klym, Miss J. LaBossiere, Miss L. Manaigne, Ruth Swanson
1952-1953	G. Andrew, I. Brigden, M. Crinchuk, Alice Daly, Mrs. E. Dewar, H. I. Hagglund, Ruth Swanson
1953-1954	Mrs. G. Andrews, Miss I. Brigden, Miss R. Clark, Alice Daly, Mrs. E. I. Dewar, Mrs. O. A. Lynch, Ruth Swanson, Miss M. Thatcher
1955-1956	Mrs. G. Andrew, Miss R. Clark, Alice Daly, Mrs. W. Harriott, Miss M. Kirvan, Mrs. O. A. Lynch, George Schmidt, M. J. Shsarchuk, Ruth Swanson
1956-1959	?
1959-1960	Mr. Kozak (grade 5)
1960-1961	Ms. Eames (grade 6)

Other teachers: Gladys Kathleen McQueen (1942-1955)

Photos & Coordinates

Fire insurance map showing the location of the North Ward School (September 1916) Source: Library and Archives Canada Ruth Hooker School (August 2016) Source: Nathan Kramer Ruth Hooker School (August 2016) Source: Nathan Kramer Ruth Hooker School (July 2019) Source: Rose Kuzina Site Coordinates (lat/long): N50.14776, W96.87579 denoted by symbol on the map above

Sources:

“Selkirk,” Manitoba Free Press, 21 April 1906, page 24.

“Selkirk,” Winnipeg Tribune, 29 May 1907, page 8.

“Wanted - male principal,” Manitoba Free Press, 30 July 1907, page 28.

“Changes school policy,” Winnipeg Tribune, 17 August 1909, page 3.

“Selkirk news and local events,” Manitoba Free Press, 15 august 1914, page 31.

“Selkirk, Man,” Western Canada Fire Underwriters’ Association map, September 1916, Library and Archives Canada.

“Selkirk,” Manitoba Free Press, 31 August 1920, page 11.

“Interesting newsy items from Selkirk,” Manitoba Free Press, 6 September 1921, page 4.

“Grade 12 to be tought [sic] at Selkirk Collegiate” Winnipeg Tribune, 14 September 1932, page 3.

“Selkirk schools open,” Winnipeg Tribune, 3 September 1936, page 3.

“Teachers are named for Selkirk schools,” Winnipeg Tribune, 11 August 1937, page 2.

“One thousand pupils for Selkirk schools,” Winnipeg Free Press, 30 August 1939, page 2.

“Thousand to enroll in Selkirk schools,” Winnipeg Free Press, 29 August 1940, page 4.

“Schools of Selkirk to reopen Tuesday,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 September 1941, page 3.

“Selkirk schools open,” Winnipeg Free Press, 2 September 1942, page 2.

“Schools to reopen in Selkirk Sept. 7,” Winnipeg Free Press, 26 August 1943, page 10.

“Selkirk schools to reopen Tuesday,” Winnipeg Tribune, 31 August 1944, page 3.

“Selkirk school staff engage for new term,” Winnipeg Free Press, 28 August 1945, page 19.

“Selkirk school staff named,” Winnipeg Tribune, 31 August 1946, page 20.

“Selkirk news,” Winnipeg Tribune, 23 August 1947, page 9.

“Selkirk schools re-open on Monday,” Winnipeg Tribune, 27 August 1949, page 19.

“Selkirk schools have record teaching staff,” Winnipeg Free Press, 31 August 1950, page 23.

“Selkirk notes,” Winnipeg Free Press, 3 September 1951, page 11.

“Staffs named for schools at Selkirk,” Winnipeg Free Press, 28 August 1952, page 10.

“School starts Sept. 1 for Selkirk pupils,” Winnipeg Free Press, 26 August 1955, page 12.

“Tenders for Ruth Hooker School,” Winnipeg Free Press, 24 July 1965, page 56.

Schools in the Interlake - Manitoba - Vol. 1, Local Government Boundaries Commission, Revised March 1968. [Archives of Manitoba]

“Lord Selkirk S.D. # 11,” Winnipeg Free Press, 27 April 1980, page 36.

“Lord Selkirk S.D. # 11,” Winnipeg Free Press, 17 December 1984, page 35.

“Lord Selkirk S.D. # 11,” Winnipeg Free Press, 5 July 1985, page 36.

“Lord Selkirk S.D. # 11,” Winnipeg Free Press, 10 June 1987, page 45.

“Lord Selkirk S.D. # 11,” Winnipeg Free Press, 26 June 1989, page 29.

“Program aims to teach kids to ‘learn not to burn’,” Winnipeg Free Press Rural Edition, 21 April 1992, page 2.

“Lord Selkirk School Division No. 11,” Winnipeg Free Press, 20 June 1992, page E48.

“School breakfast clubs a success in Manitoba,” Winnipeg Free Press, 12 January 1999, page A12.

“Lord Selkirk School Division No. 11,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 May 1999, page D10.

“Lord Selkirk School Division,” Winnipeg Free Press, 17 April 2004, page 87.

“Lord Selkirk School Division,” Winnipeg Free Press, 24 February 2007, page 113.

“Lord Selkirk School Division,” Winnipeg Free Press, 14 February 2009, page 99.

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

We thank Wendy Stefanyshyn and Rose Kuzina for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.

Page revised: 5 September 2021

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