Historic Sites of Manitoba: Lord Kitchener School / John Pritchard School (1490 Henderson Highway, Winnipeg)

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

One of three schools built in this area in 1915, along with Lord Wolseley School and Salisbury School, this school was designed by architect John Danley Atchison and built by the Sutherland Construction Company at a cost of about $75,000, on property purchased from market gardener Herbert Whellams that had previously belonged to pioneer John Pritchard.

It was known originally as Lord Kitchener School when it opened on 1 September 1915, in recognition of British military commander Horatio Herbert Kitchener (1850-1916). Suffering from low student enrollment, the school closed after a single year of operation, with students going to Lord Wolseley School one mile south of its location. It reopened the following year and has remained openly continously ever since. An expansion in 1947 was designed by Edgar Prain.

A large addition was made to the school in 1967, including a two-storey wing of classrooms (known as Manitoba Hall), a gymnasium/auditorium, and audiovisual room. Around this time, the school was renamed John Pritchard School in recognition of Pritchard’s pioneering role in the education of children at the Red River Settlement. More expansion occurred in 1975 with the addition of two science rooms and a laboratory, industrial arts shop, music room, multipurpose room, and custodial room. Another wing, named Jackson Hall in honour of the school’s first Principal, was added in 1985.

Principals

Period

Principal

1915-1926

Daisy Jackson (1889-1973)

1926-1953

Hubert Harry Hooper (c1886-1963)

1953-1956

?

1956-1959

John Sigfus Helgason (?-1978)

1959-1960

Wesley Sterling McGill (1904-1986)

1960-1975

Mr. H. V. Neufeld

1975-1977

Mr. R. V. Purvis

1977-1986

Mr. H. V. Neufeld

1986-1989

Mr. H. Kojima

1989-1998

Mr. G. Bowles

1998-1999

Dr. L. Cartwright

1999-?

Mr. T. Stoesz

Vice-Principals

Period

Vice-Principal

1973-1982

Hendrikus “Henry” Visch (1927-2021)

Teachers

School Year

Teachers

1915-1916

?

1916-1917

?

1917-1918

?

1918-1919

?

1919-1920

?

1920-1921

?

1921-1922

?

1922-1923

?

1923-1924

?

1924-1925

?

1925-1926

?

1926-1927

?

1927-1928

?, Sarah Mahan Wood

1928-1929

?, Sarah Mahan Wood

1929-1930

?

1930-1931

?

1931-1932

?

1932-1933

?

1933-1934

?

1934-1935

?

1935-1936

?

1936-1937

?

1937-1938

?

1938-1939

?

1939-1940

?

1940-1941

?

1941-1942

?

1942-1943

?

1943-1944

?

1944-1945

?

1945-1946

?

1946-1947

?

1947-1948

?

1948-1949

?

1949-1950

?

1950-1951

?

1951-1952

?

1952-1953

?

1953-1954

Henry Schmidt, ?

1954-1955

Henry Schmidt, ?

1955-1956

?

1956-1957

?

1957-1958

?

1958-1959

?

1959-1960

?

1960-1961

?

1961-1962

?

1962-1963

?

1963-1964

?

1964-1965

?

1965-1966

?

1966-1967

Mrs. M. Dyck, A. Gurney, Mrs. B. Halchen, G. Hinther, Miss A. Koop, Mrs. J. Lange, Miss E. Lenzmann, Miss P. Loewen, W. C. Malenchak, Mrs. J. Morgan, R. Pauls, Miss S. Pauls, Miss A. Penner, Miss M. Rempel, Miss B. Robinson, Mrs. R. Schroeder, Miss L. Smart, Mrs. Stewart, Mrs. S. Stewart, Mrs. M. Strand, Miss P. Wilson

1967-1968

?

1968-1969

?

1969-1970

?

1970-1971

?

1971-1972

?

1972-1973

?

1973-1974

Mrs. Bagu, Mrs. Doucette, Mr. Ferschau, Mr. Gurney, Mrs. Hatchen, Mr. Kroeker, Mr. Lakusiak, Mr. Lebedeff, Mr. Lynch, Mrs. Mehta, Miss Pauls, Mr. Penner, Mr. Reimer, Mr. Sawatzky, Mrs. Steer, Mr. Toutant

Among the teachers of Lord Kitchener School were Elsie Rowena Ritchie.

Photos & Coordinates

Lord Kitchener School

Lord Kitchener School (circa 1927)
Source: Education Department Report, 1927, Manitoba Legislative Library.

John Pritchard School, formerly known as Lord Kitchener School

John Pritchard School, formerly known as Lord Kitchener School (April 2013)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough

Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.94681, W97.08598
denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Memorable Manitobans: John Danley Atchison (1870-1959)

Manitoba Business: Sutherland Construction Company

Historic Sites of Manitoba: S. R. Henderson Cairn (1490 Henderson Highway, Winnipeg)

Memorable Manitobans: John Pritchard (1777-1855)

John Pritchard School - School History, River East Transcona School Division

Sources:

“Sutherland Construction Co., Ltd.,” Winnipeg Tribune, 25 September 1915, page 150.

Annual Reports of the Manitoba Department of Education, Manitoba Legislative Library.

“N. Kildonan teachers listed,” Winnipeg Free Press, 13 September 1966, page 13.

“This Old School – John Pritchard School” by Reid Dickie, Winnipeg Free Press, 29 August 2005, page F3.

1915 - Lord Kitchener School - Winnipeg MB, Dated Buildings and Cornerstones, Waymarking.

Obituary [Hendrikus Visch], Winnipeg Free Press, 6 February 2021.

We thank Nathan Kramer for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Peter McLure.

Page revised: 5 January 2023

Historic Sites of Manitoba

This is a collection of historic sites in Manitoba compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. The information is offered for historical interest only.

Browse lists of:
Museums/Archives | Buildings | Monuments | Cemeteries | Locations | Other

Inclusion in this collection does not confer special status or protection. Official heritage designation may only come from municipal, provincial, or federal governments. Some sites are on private property and permission to visit must be secured from the owner.

Site information is provided by the Manitoba Historical Society as a free public service only for non-commercial purposes.


Send corrections and additions to this page
to the MHS Webmaster at webmaster@mhs.mb.ca.

Search Tips | Suggest an Historic Site | FAQ

Help us keep history alive!