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Robert Browning School was designed for the Kirkfield Park School District by the Winnipeg architectural firm of Pratt Lindgren and Associates, and constructed in 1963 by the Taubensee Construction Company. The school’s 12 classrooms were occupied as of mid-November 1963, although it did not open officially until 9 April 1964. Attending the opening ceremony were Assiniboia Mayor John Harold Belows, Deputy Education Minister Robert William Lightly, a representative of the architects, School Board Chairman Arthur Raymond Oliver, and trustees Mr. D. Paulson, Mr. C. Weir, Mr. J. Stevenson, and Mr. W. N. Hallonquist.
The school served the growing suburb of Westwood and, by 1967, it had 25 staff members and over 800 students, with as many as 42 students in some classrooms. The overcrowding was alleviated by the opening of Allard School in February 1967, Bedson School in March 1968, and Columbus School in January 1970, by which time its population had decreased to 600 students. By the end of 1974, it had decreased to about 400 students. The newly empty classrooms were renovated into a science room, multipurpose room, music room, audiovisual room, and library.
Period
Principal
1963-1969
Michael A. “Mike” Yaremchuk
1969-1973
William “Bill” Burdeniuk (1932-2010)
1973-1980
George Edward Brown (1936-2016)
1980-1982
Ronald Keith Pettapiece (1926-2010)
1982-1986
Gordon Charles “Gord” Tovell (1939-2021)
1986-1991
Lucille Mollot
1991-1997
Victor A. Mollot
1997-1998
Ray Desautels
1998-2004
?
2004-2006
Elizabeth Corbett
2006-2015
?
2015-2016
Manuel Gomes
Period
Vice-Principal
1966-1969
Nell Ruchkall Ramsay
1969-1970
Joyce P. Hill
1970-1973
Ewart David Carruthers (1926-1992)
1982-1986
Lawson Tarbuth
1989-1990
Ray Desautels
1990-1993
Roger Lacroix
1993-1994
Marielle Gaultier-Dow
School Year
Teachers
1963-1964
Miss J. Amy, Mrs. V. Dufresne, Miss B. Fraser, Mrs. T. Friesen, Miss S. Graham, Mrs. J. Hutchinson, Mrs. H. Loree, Mrs. I. McElroy, Mrs. D. McRae, Nell Ruchkall Ramsay, Miss E. Shwalk, Miss M. Tinling, Mrs. M. Wasney
1964-1965
Mr. B. Campbell, Mrs. V. Dufresne, Miss J. Frame, Miss B. Fraser, Mrs. T. Friesen, Miss S. Graham, Mrs. J. Hutchinson, Mrs. F. Loptson, Mrs. H. Loree, Miss F. Malarchuk, Mrs. I. McElroy, Miss J. McPherson, Mrs. D. McRae, Mrs. S. Meakin, Lucille Mollot, Mrs. D. Nesbitt, Mrs. I. Patterson, Nell Ruchkall Ramsay, Mrs. J. Reece, Mrs. I. Roberts, Mrs. M. Stallard, Mr. L. Stuart, Mrs. A. Turko
1965-1966
Mrs. D. Baldner, Mrs. E. Bennett, Mrs. R. Bezely, Miss M. Bosinski, Mr. B. Campbell, Mrs. M. Davis, Mrs. V. Dufresne, Miss B. Fraser, Mrs. J. Hutchinson, Mrs. S. Johnson, Mrs. J. Lawrence, Mrs. F. Loptson, Mrs. H. Loree, Mrs. I. McElroy, Mrs. D. McRae, Mrs. S. Meakin, Lucille Mollot, Miss J. Moody, Mrs. D. Nesbitt, Mrs. E. Newans, Mrs. I. Roberts, Mrs. M. Stallard, Mr. D. Thompson, Mrs. A. Turko, Mrs. E. Williamson
1966-1967
Mrs. D. Baldner, Mrs. E. Bennett, Mrs. R. Bezely, Miss M. Bosinski, Mr. B. Campbell, Mrs. A. Cott, Mrs. M. Davis, Mrs. V. Dufresne, Miss B. Fraser, Mrs. J. Hutchinson, Mrs. J. Lawrence, Mrs. D. Marriott, Mrs. C. Matthews, Mrs. I. McElroy, Mrs. D. McRae, Mrs. S. Meakin, Miss J. Moody, Mrs. D. Nesbitt, Mrs. E. Newans, Mrs. A. Rea, Miss J. Sawchuk, Mr. D. Thompson, Mrs. A. Turko, Mrs. E. Williamson
1967-1968
Miss D. Baldner, Mrs. E. Bennett, Mrs. R. Bezely, Mrs. J. Cardinal, Mrs. A. Cott, Mrs. M. Davis, Mrs. V. Dufresne, Mrs. M. Duna, Mrs. J. Hutchinson, Mrs. J. Lawrence, Mr. G. Laycock, Mrs. C. Lenover, Mrs. D. Marriott, Mrs. C. Matthews, Mrs. I. McElroy, Mrs. D. McRae, Mrs. S. Meakin, Miss J. Moody, Mrs. D. Nesbitt, Mrs. E. Newans, Mrs. I. Roberts, Mrs. B. Schille, Mr. D. Thompson, Mrs. A. Turko, Mrs. E. Williamson
1968-1969
Mrs. E. Bennett, Miss A. Brooker, Mrs. J. Cardinal, Mrs. A. Cott, Mrs. D. Croden, Mrs. J. Dodds, Mrs. M. Duna, Mrs. J. Hutchinson, Mr. G. Laycock, Mrs. D. Lean, Mrs. D. Marriott, Mrs. C. Matthews, Mrs. I. McElroy, Mrs. G. Miller, Mrs. D. Nesbitt, Mrs. E. Newans, Mrs. I. Roberts, Mrs. L. Sievewright, Miss P. Smith, Mr. J. Talaga, Mrs. A. Turko, Mrs. E. Williamson
1969-1970
Mrs. E. Bennett, Mrs. A. Cott, Mrs. M. Duna, Mrs. S. Hancock, Mrs. J. Hutchinson, Mr. G. Laycock, Mr. A. Lea, Mrs. B. Lewis, Mrs. D. Marriott, Mrs. C. Matthews, Mrs. G. Miller, Mrs. P. Moreau, Mrs. G. Morton, Mrs. D. Nesbitt, Mrs. L. Sievewright, Mr. J. Talaga, Mrs. A. Turko, Mrs. E. Williamson
1970-1971
Mrs. P. Belisle, Mrs. E. Bennett, Mrs. A. Cott, Mrs. M. Duna, Mrs. S. Hancock, Mrs. J. Hutchinson, Mr. J. Jenkins, Mrs. M. Kampen, Mrs. I. Kerr, Mr. G. Laycock, Mr. A. Lea, Mrs. B. Lewis, Mrs. D. Marriott, Mrs. G. Morton, Mrs. D. Neelin, Mrs. D. Nesbitt, Mrs. M. Pringle, Mrs. D. Ramsay, Mrs. L. Shellrude, Mr. J. Talaga, Mrs. A. Turko, Mrs. E. Williamson
1971-1972
Miss C. Allan, Mrs. E. Bennett, Mrs. C. Bentham, Mrs. J. Chartrand, Mrs. A. Cott, Mrs. M. Duna, Mr. R. Erskine, Mrs. S. Hancock, Mr. J. Jenkins, Mrs. V. Kelbert, Mrs. J. Kowal, Mr. G. Laycock, Mrs. J. Lee, Mrs. B. Lewis, Mrs. G. Morton, Miss J. Otke, Mrs. L. Shellrude, Mr. N. Soltess, Mr. J. Talaga, Mrs. A. Turko, Mr. F. Wermann, Mrs. E. Williamson, Miss D. Wittenberg
1972-1973
Miss C. Allan, Mrs. P. Belisle, Mrs. E. Bennett, Mrs. J. Chartrand, Mrs. A. Cott, Mrs. M. Duna, Mr. R. Erskine, Mrs. A. Fulham, Mrs. V. Guenther, Mr. J. Jenkins, Mr. D. Johnson, Mrs. V. Kelbert, Mrs. J. Kowal, Mr. G. Laycock, Mrs. J. Lee, Mrs. B. Lewis, Mrs. V. Mahaffy, Mrs. G. Morton, Miss I. Schmidt, Mrs. L. Shellrude, Mrs. S. Smith, Mr. J. Talaga, Mrs. A. Turko, Mr. F. Wermann
1973-1974
Miss C. Allan, Mrs. E. Bennett, Miss P. Bouchard, Mrs. E. Brown, Mrs. J. Chartrand, Mrs. A. Cott, Mrs. M. Duna, Mrs. V. Guenther, Mrs. C. Harman, Mr. J. Jenkins, Mr. D. Johnson, Mrs. V. Kelbert, Mrs. J. Kowal, Mrs. M. Larose, Mr. G. Laycock, Mrs. J. Lee, Mrs. B. Lewis, Mrs. V. Mahaffy, Mr. T. Mayor, Mrs. A. Sawatsky, Miss I. Schmidt, Mrs. S. Smith, Miss A. Swan, Mr. J. Talaga, Mrs. A. Turko, Mr. F. Wermann
1974-2005
?
2005-2006
Michelle Ager, Pierre Bohemier, Rone Boyko, Anna-Maria Coniglio, Winona Dickens, Kathleen Farmery, Remi Gagnon, Marielle Gaultier Dow, Filomena Goncalves, Tara Johnson, Laurent Lacroix, Joanne Lagasse-Kroeker, Mara Luke, Susan Maclean-Pilat, Laura McKenzie, Monique Pedersen, Michel Proulx, Louise Samborski, Bernice Schick, Krystyna Towells
Robert Browning School (May 2024)
Source: Greg Petzold
Robert Browning School (May 2024)
Source: Greg PetzoldSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.87231, W97.29748
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Manitoba Business: Pratt Lindgren Snider Tomcej and Associates
Manitoba Business: Taubensee Construction Company
“Jottings from the business world” by Elman Guttormson, Winnipeg Free Press, 16 March 1963, page 62.
History of Robert Browning School: 1963-1974, St. James Assiniboia School Division, 1974.
“St. James - Assiniboine School Board,” Winnipeg Free Press, 15 May 1993, page A11.
We thank Mari-Jean Nachtigall, Dorothy Young, Victor A. Mollot, Nathan Kramer, and Greg Petzold for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 5 October 2024
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