Historic Sites of Manitoba: Voyageur School (37 Voyageur Street, Winnipeg)

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

Built between 1967 and 1968 on designs of the Winnipeg architectural firm Pratt Lindgren Snider Tomcej and Associates, the facility cost around $500,000 as part of a three-school, 82-classroom, $1,415,064 building spree to keep pace with the skyrocketing enrollment demands in the Assiniboine North School Division. (Other schools were Arthur Oliver and Bedson.) It was built by the Taubensee Construction Company Limited and featured a gymnasium at the centre, ringed with classrooms. The 300 Kindergarten to grade 5 students made the migration from Crestview School to their new building on 9 February 1968, walking the distance in class groups over the span of the school day, all the while escorted by school staff. An official opening ceremony on 29 May 1968 was attended by members of the School Board: Mr. M. J. Parsons (Chair), Mr. E. W. Docking (Vice-Chair), Mr. M. Baryluk, Mr. D. Green, Mr. D. G. Jewison, Don Loadman, Mr. D. Paulson, Mr. C. Starkell, and Mr. M. Tomlinson. Also in attendance were School Inspector Ross E. Vasey, Superintendent Harold A. Mouritsen, and Assistant Superintendent John S. Helgason.

Principals

Period	Principal
1967-1973	Christopher Shaughnessy O’Grady (1939-2017)
1973-1977	?
1977-1980	Nicholas “Nick” Kohuch (1926-2015)
1980-1992	Abram W. “Abe” Friesen (1936-2020)
1992-1996	?
1996-1998	Judy Clark
1998-2004	?
2004-2006	Jennifer Fraser

Vice-Principals

Period	Vice-Principal
1969-1972	Mr. C. E. Charlesworth
1972-1973	Miss G. Marriott
1973-1977	?
1977-1980	Daniel Maharaj

Teachers

School Year	Teachers
1968	Mr. S. Buchalter (grade 5), Miss L. Cameron (grade 5), Miss L. Chesney (Kindergarten), Miss M. Currie (grade 6), Miss P. Dennis (grade 2), Mrs. A. Elias (grade 3), Miss M. Gibson (grade 1), Miss L. Hrysak (grade 3), Miss E. Johnson (grade 4), Miss L. Liggett (grade 4), Mrs. V. McDougall (grade 2), Mrs. E. Peters (grade 1), Miss R. Sigvaldson (grade 1), and Mrs. K. Sutherland (Kindergarten)
1968-1969	Loa Henry Anthony (grade 4), Mrs. L. Brown (grade 5), Mr. S. Buchalter (grade 5), Mrs. S. Bunston (grade 1), Miss M. Currie (grade 6), Miss P. Dennis (grade 2), Mrs. P. Derrett (grade 4), Mrs. A. Elias (grade 3), Mrs. L. Finkbiner (grade 1), Miss M. Gibson (grade 3), Mrs. J. Hillson (grade 2), Miss E. Johnson (grade 4), Mrs. V. Kelbert (grade 1), Mrs. L. Kobel (grade 3), Mrs. E. Makush (Kindergarten), Mrs. V. McDougall (grade 2), Miss B. Pattern (grade 4), Mrs. E. Peters (grade 2), Miss R. Sigvaldson (grade 1), Miss I. Sochasky (grade 3), Mrs. K. Sutherland (Kingergarten), Mrs. P. Tottle (grade 6), Mrs. A. Wiebe (grade 6), and Mrs. D. Zacharias (grade 5)
1969-1970	Loa Henry Anthony (grade 4), Mr. S. Buchalter (grade 5), Mr. R. Caskey (grade 5), Mr. C. Charlesworth (Vice-Principal, grade 6), Miss M. Currie (grade 6), Miss P. Dennis (grade 2), Mrs. P. Derrett (grades 4,5), Miss J. Ewert (grade 1), Mrs. L. Finkbiner (grade 1), Mrs. L. French (Kintergarten), Miss M. Gibson (grade 3), Mrs. R. Henderson (grade 1), Mrs. J. Hillson (grade 2), Miss E. Johnson (grade 4), Mrs. O. Kavanagh (Kindergarten), Mrs. V. Kelbert (grade 1), Mrs. L. Kobel (grade 3), Miss I. LeRoy (grade 3), Mrs. V. McDougall (grade 2), Miss I. Sochasky (grade 3), Mrs. E. Spak (grade 5), Miss D. Stevenson (grade 4), Mrs. K. Sutherland (Kindergarten), Mrs. P. Tottle (grade 6), and Mrs. D. Zacharias (grade 5)
1970-1971	Mrs. C. Adams (Kindergarten), Loa Henry Anthony (grade 4), Mrs. S. Buchalter (grade 6), Mr. R. Caskey (grade 5), Mr. C. Charlesworth (Vice-Principal, grade 6), Miss M. Currie (grade 6), Miss P. Dennis (grade 2), Mrs. P. Derrett (grade 4), Miss J. Ewert (grade 1), Mrs. L. Finkbiner (grades 1,2,3), Mrs. L. French (Kindergarten), Miss M. Gibson (grade 3), Mrs. L. Gill (grade 2), Mrs. J. Hillson (grade 2), Mrs. O. Kavanagh (Kindergarten), Miss E. Johnson (grade 4), Mrs. C. Josephson (grade 3), Mrs. V. Kelvert (grade 1), Mrs. M. Kelbrick (grade 3), Mrs. L. Kobel (grade 3), Mr. A. Krashewski (grade 5), Miss L. Lisik (grade 1), Mrs. V. McDougall (grade 2), Miss I. Sochasky (grade 3), Mrs. E. Spak (grade 5), Miss D. Stevenson (grade 4), and Mrs. P. Tottle (grade 5)
1971-2005	?
2005-2006	Jacquie Anderson-Johnson, Francesca Gallo, Terri Grant, Kathryn Harochaw, Lynda Johnston, Deborah Lockhart, Anna-Marie Mcaleer, Sunny Myles, Ernest Nuytten, Constance Ranson, Ainsley Richardson, Leigh Smith, Kerry Whitely, Judy Zurawzuk

Photos & Coordinates

Voyageur School (May 2020) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Voyageur School (May 2020) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.89629, W97.30041 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Manitoba Business: Pratt Lindgren Snider Tomcej and Associates

Sources:

“Tenders,” Winnipeg Free Press, 6 May 1967, page 12.

“Assiniboia school construction starts,” Winnipeg Free Press, 3 June 1967, page 28.

“Only minor mishaps mar Voyageur school’s move,” Winnipeg Free Press, 10 February 1968, page 3.

“The City of Winnipeg election Booth Ward,” Winnipeg Free Press, 23 October 1973, page 27.

“Three schools in three days,” Winnipeg Free Press, 30 May 1968, page 3.

Voyageur School History, St. James Assiniboia School Division.

We thank Dorothy Young for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer and Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 18 June 2021

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