Historic Sites of Manitoba: Robert Browning School (130 Browning Boulevard, Winnipeg)

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

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 Taubensee Construction Limited. 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 J. H. Belows, Deputy Education Minister R. W. Lightly, a representative of the architects, School Board Chairman A. R. 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.

Principals

Period	Principal
1963-1969	Michael A. “Mike” Yaremchuk
1969-1973	William “Bill” Burdeniuk (1932-2010)
1973-1980	Mr. G. Brown
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

Vice-Principals

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

Teachers

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

Photos & Coordinates

Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.87231, W97.29748 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Manitoba Business: Pratt Lindgren Snider Tomcej and Associates

Sources:

“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, and Nathan Kramer for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 11 June 2023

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