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Sir John Franklin School was designed by local architect John Nelson Semmens and built in 1921 by day labourers under the supervision of the Sutherland Construction Company, along Grosvenor Avenue, between Beaverbrook and Lanark streets. Total construction cost was $52,000. Opened it the fall of 1921, in October the school was named in commemoration of Arctic explorer John Franklin.
Prior to its construction, students attended Julia Clark School on the grounds of the Children’s Home. When completed, student enrollment at the one-storey, five-classroom structure increased through the 1920s and 1930s, necessitating additions in 1934 and 1951. By June 1987, however, enrollment had dwindled sufficiently that the school was closed by the Winnipeg School Board in June 1989. The building was demolished in late Fall of 1991 and its former site has been maintained as a community green space into 2015. That year, the site was redeveloped and the area converted for residential housing.
Period
Principal
1921-1922
Frank Crossley Davey (1894-1982)
1922-1923
Margaret Euphemia Monteith (1884-1978)
1923-1942
Mary Carson Thomson (1881-1967)
1942-1947
Morag Kathrina Lorimer Harpley (1895-1991)
1947-1948
Myrtle Lucinda Johnston Campbell (1902-1978)
1948-1954
Margaret Katherine McKinnon (1909-1996)
1954-1961
Hannah Eleanor Fisher (1901-1996)
1961-1964
Frank Eugene Hughes (?-1978)
1964-1967
Naomi L. Hersom (1927-2008)
1967-1969
Edward Maza
1969-1970
Miss Anna Phillips
1970-1973
Natalie “Nellie” Sozansky (1920-2009)
1973-1976
Joe F. Scott
1976-1979
Al H. Nickel
1979-1980
Judy C. Hill
1980-1981
J. G. Nowell
1981-1982
V. L. Smyth
1982-1985
Nadine S. Calver
1985-1988
William Badiuk
1988-1989
Patricia Burgess
School Year
Teachers
1921-1922
?
1922-1923
M. I. Douglas, Mrs. M. Thompson
1923-1924
M. I Douglas
1924-1925
N. Connacher, M. I. Douglas
1925-1926
G. I. Atkins, M. I. Douglas
1926-1927
G. I. Atkins, M. I. Douglas
1927-1928
G. I. Atkins, M. Connacher, M. I. Douglas
1928-1929
G. Bradley, R. G. Brown, M. Reekie
1929-1930
M. Reekie
1930-1931
Rhoda Brown, Alma Madeleine McGreevy, M. Reekie
1931-1932
R. B. Altman, Alma Madeleine McGreevy, M. Reekie
1932-1933
R. B. Altman, Alma Madeleine McGreevy, M. Reekie
1933-1934
R. B. Altman, Alma Madeleine McGreevy, M. Reekie
1934-1935
R. B. Altman, Alma Madeleine McGreevy, M. Reekie
1935-1936
R. B. Altman, E. Macfie, Alma Madeleine McGreevy, M. Reekie
1936-1937
R. B. Altman, Alma Madeleine McGreevy, M. Reekie, E. Spencer
1937-1938
R. B. Altman, Alma Madeleine McGreevy, M. Reekie, E. Spencer
1938-1939
M. Reekie, I. V. Stewart, E. Spencer
1939-1940
A. McGreevy, M. Reekie, E. Spencer, I. V. Stewart
1940-1941
A. McGreevy, M. Reekie, E. Spencer, I. V. Stewart
1941-1942
M. Reekie, W. McGregor, N. Mooney
1942-1943
M. W. Greer, Nora Mooney, M. Reekie
1943-1944
Nora Mooney, M. Reekie, J. Rusk
1944-1945
Nora Mooney, J. Rusk
1945-1946
G. M. Kendrick, L. Langford, Nora Mooney, J. Rusk
1946-1947
H. Fletcher, H. Grainger, A. Hall, L. Langford, J. Rusk
1947-1948
E. Cortilet, J. Filmore, H. Forbes, H. Forrest, A. Hall, J. Murray
1948-1949
Miss H. Forrest, Mrs. A. Hall, Miss B. M. Hill, Mrs. I. Hubble, Mrs. J. F. Murray, Mrs. D. Wood
1949-1950
Miss C. Campbell, Miss E. H. Chanin, Miss H. Forest, Miss B. Hill, Miss A. J. Mowat, Mrs. J. Murray, Mrs. I. Hubble
1950-1951
Miss H. Forrest, Mrs. I. Hubble, Miss E. Hunter, Miss J. M. McKen, Miss E. Sutherland, Mrs. M. Sundberg, Mrs. B. M. Thompson
1951-1952
Miss M. Black, Miss T. Dolan, Mrs. I. Hubble, Miss E. J. Hunter, Miss R. Joseph, Miss G. Menzies, Miss C. M. Ormond, Miss E. Sutherland, Mrs. B. Thompson
1952-1953
Miss H. Black, Miss C. Campbell, Miss A. G. Faris, Miss M. E. Flanders, Miss H. Forrest, Mrs. I. Hubble, Miss R. Joseph, Mrs. C. McConnell, Mrs. E. Martens, Miss G. Menzies, Mrs. A. R. Nicol, Miss E. Sutherland, Miss L. Turriff
1953-1954
Mrs. P. Ellerington, Miss H. Forrest, Mrs. I. Hubble, Miss R. Joseph, Miss B. Perkins, Vernon Peters, Miss M. J. Renton, Miss E. Sutherland, Mrs. H. Tokar
1954-1955
Mrs. F. A. Gibson, Mrs. I. Hubble, Miss R. Joseph, Miss B. Perkins, Vernon Peters, Miss J. Renton, Mrs. J. Kopstein, Miss E. Sutherland, Miss M. R. Wright
1955-1956
Elementary department: Mrs. A. Gibson, Mrs. I Hubble, Mrs. R. M. Hughes, Miss V. Joseph, Mrs. J. Kopstein, Miss B. Perkins, Vernon Peters, Miss J. Renton, Miss E. Sutherland, Miss R. Wright. Intermediate department: Miss B. Lamond
1956-1957
P. Danyluk, Miss M. E. Foster, Mrs. H. V. Galston, Miss D. Goplin, Mrs. I. Hubble, Mrs. R. Hughes, Miss R. Joseph, Miss A. Kowalson, Miss M. McKinnon, Miss B. Perkins, Miss E. Sutherland, Miss R. Wright
1957-1958
Mr. P. Danyluk, Mrs. O. Fyfe, Mrs. M. Hill, Mrs. I. Hubble, Mrs. R. Hughes, Miss V. Joseph, Miss B. Perkins, Miss R. Wright
1958-1959
Mrs. V. Bermel, Mrs. M. Hill, Mrs. R. Hughes, Miss R. Joseph, Miss G. Malkowsky, L. Penner, Miss B. Perkins, Mrs. L. Smith, Miss R. Wright
1959-1960
Mrs. V. Bermel, Mrs. G. Chafe, Mrs. R. Hughes, Mrs. E. Lewis, Mrs. G. Nedolos, L. Penner, Miss B. Perksin, Miss L. Ushey, Mrs. L. Smith, Miss R. Joseph
1960-1961
Mrs. G. Chafe, Miss P. Joseph, Mrs. R. Hughes, Mrs. E. Lewis, L. Penner, Miss B. Perkins, Mrs. L. Smith, Mrs. J. Suderman, Miss L. Ushey
1961-1962
L. Burdeny, Mrs. G. Chafe, Miss A. Graham, Miss R. Joseph, Mrs. E. Lewis, Mrs. L. Smith, Miss L. Ushey
1962-1963
?
1963-1964
?
1964-1965
L. Burdeny, Miss A. Graham, Mrs. E. Lewis, Miss D. Miller, Mrs. H. Sargeant, Mrs. C. Shuttleworth, Mrs. L. Smith, Mrs. M. Sundberg
1965-1966
L. Burdeny, Miss A. Graham, Mrs. E. Lewis, Mrs. H. Sargeant, Mrs. C. Shuttleworth, Mrs. L. Smith, Mrs. M. Sundberg, Miss D. Miller
1966-1967
Miss A. Graham, Mrs. E. Lewis, Miss D. Miller, Mrs. F. Milne, Mrs. H. Sargeant, Mrs. L. Smith, E. Sinck?, Mrs. M. Sundberg, Mrs. M. Tyler, Miss A. M. Wiebe
1967-1968
Mrs. M. Bastick, Mrs. I. Corroll, Miss A. Graham, Mrs. E. Lewis, Mrs. F. Milne, Mrs. D. Owens, Miss L. Ryman, Mrs. H. Sargeant, Mrs. L. Smith, Mrs. M. Sundberg, Mrs. M. Tyler
1968-1969
Mrs. M. Baxter, Miss H. Compton, Mrs. L. Craven, Mrs. B. Giesbrecht, Mrs. H. Kleiman, Miss B. Law, P. Lutkie, Mrs. M. Monkman, Mrs. M. O’Neil, Mrs. M. Rogers, Mrs. F. Simpson, Mrs. A. Smythe
1969-1976
?
1976-1977
Mrs. Ardythe McMaster (music), ?
1977-1989
?
Aerial view of Sir John Franklin School (1923) by Royal Canadian Air Force photographer
Source: Archives of Manitoba, Surveys Branch aerial photographs (A 0262), GR11610, FA 23 - 50.
Sir John Franklin School (no date)
Source: Winnipeg School DivisionSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.86806, W97.19863
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Manitoba Business: Sutherland Construction Company
“Objection to calling school after soldier [Other schools named; Sir John Franklin],” Manitoba Free Press, 12 October 1921, page 2.
“Santa Claus finds 3,000 more children attending city schools,” Winnipeg Tribune, 26 December 1921, page 2.
“Winnipeg schools, No. 44—Sir John Franklin,” Manitoba Free Press, 6 December 1922, page 4.
“School Board announces 11 changes in principals,” Winnipeg Free Press, 26 April 1961, page 15.
“Many principals named for Winnipeg schools,” Winnipeg Free Press, 9 June 1970, page 2.
“School posts filled,” Winnipeg Free Press, 5 May 1973, page 74.
“Majority like idea of school meal plan,” Winnipeg Free Press, 22 October 1974, page 85.
“School chiefs named,” Winnipeg Free Press, 18 July 1979, page 18.
Obituary [Elma Madeleine McGreevy], Winnipeg Free Press, 23 January 1982, page 46.
“Principals appointed,” Winnipeg Free Press, 9 July 1989, page 35.
A Study of Public School Buildings in Manitoba by David Butterfield, Historic Resources Branch, Manitoba Department of Culture, Heritage and Tourism, 1994, 230 pages.
Sir John Franklin School, Winnipeg School Division History Files.
Henderson’s Winnipeg and Brandon Directories, Henderson Directories Limited, Peel’s Prairie Provinces, University of Alberta Libraries.
Winnipeg School Division: Celebrating One Hundred Fifty Years, 1871-2021 by Winnipeg School Division, 2021.
We thank the Winnipeg School Division and Ardythe McMaster for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 5 July 2022
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