Historic Sites of Manitoba: Lansdowne School (715 Wiginton Street, Winnipeg)

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

Named for Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitzmaurice (1845-1927), the 5th Governor General of Canada and 5th Marquis of Lansdowne, the cornerstone of the original Lansdowne School building was laid on 8 July 1954 by Mrs. N. Patrick. Construction of the ten-classroom structure was undertaken by the Semmler Construction Company at a cost of $158,205. It was opened officially by Winnipeg School Board Chair “Nan” Murphy on 16 March 1955. Four years later, it was expanded with four more classrooms.

From 1981 to 1983, a four-classroom wing of the building was rented to the Winnipeg Mennonite Elementary School. The facility closed in 1982 due to declining enrollment but was reopened in August 1984 as a French milieu facility, hosting kindergarten to grade 2. As the French Immersion program gained enrollment, the school’s capacity was increased in 1993-1994 on designs of School Division architect Guntis Rozitis. They added five classrooms, a gymnasium, additional interior spaces, and exterior alterations. The school presently hosts Nursery to grade 8.

Principals

Period	Principal
1954-1968	Herbert Milton Bell (1903-1977)
1968-1970	Johann “John” Hamm (1925-2017)
1970-1972	Gudrun Valdina “Valdine” Johnson (1923-2018)
1972-1977	David James “Jim” Fleck (1924-2007)
1977-1982	William “Bill” Badiuk
1982-1984	Closed
1984-1987	Leonne Dumesnil
1987-1998	Maryse Mymin
1998-2003	Dolorès Hébert
2003-2014	Chantelle Deslauriers-Gray
2014-?	Vincent Audino

Vice-Principals

Period	Vice-Principal
2002-2003	Chantelle Deslauriers-Gray
2003-2008	Donald Teel
2008-?	Manuel Silva

Teachers

School Year	Teachers
1954-1955	Elementary Department: Miss J. Gibson, A. Friesen, Miss E. Neufeld, Mrs. H. Topolinski, Miss H. Willms. Intermediate Department: J. Dorfman, F. Hastings, Miss M. Kelsall
1955-1956	Miss I. Goodwin, Miss E. Neufeld, Benny Zenon Orlins, Muriel Amelia Robertson Redpath, Miss H. Willms
1956-1957	Miss M. Archambault, W. Dueck, Miss I. Lubosch, Mrs. L. McKinny, Miss Pat McManus, Miss N. Pawlysyzyn, Muriel Amelia Robertson Redpath, Miss V. Taylor, Miss H. Willms
1957-1958	Miss M. Archambault, Mrs. E. Judt, Miss I. Lubosch, Miss M. Marr, Mrs. L. McKinny, Miss N. Pawlyszn, J. Senkiw, Miss S. Weltzel, Miss H. Willms
1958-1959	Miss M. Archambault, Miss F. Compton, Mrs. B. Fleury, Mrs. M. Mann, Miss M. Marr, Miss E. Neufeld, Miss N. Pawlyszyn, Miss E. Podborchynski, J. Senkiw, Mrs. A. Stewart, Miss R. Sudletsky, Miss S. Weitzel
1959-1960	Miss F. Bell, Miss S. Brynjolfson, Miss F. Compton, Mrs. N. Costin, Mrs. B. Giesbrecht, Miss Y. Kawata, Miss M. Marr, Mrs. E. Money, Mrs. E. Neufeld, Miss D. Petrus, J. Senkiw, Mrs. A. Stewart, Miss R. Sudletsky, Miss S. Weitzel
1960-1961	Miss F. Bell, Miss S. Brynjolfson, Miss F. Compton, Mrs. N. Costin, J. Enns, Mrs. B. Giesbrecht, Miss Y. Kawata, Mrs. D. Little, Miss I. Lubosch, Miss M. MacLellan, Miss M. Marr, Miss E. Neufeld, Mrs. A. Stewart
1961-1962	Miss F. Bell, Mrs. N. Costin, Miss R. Ewert, Miss M. Kruschel, Miss C. Leitch, Miss I. Lubosch, Miss M. Marr, Miss M. MacLellan, Miss S. Miller, Miss E. Neufeld, Mrs. D. Penner, Mrs. M. Stashko, Mrs. A. Stewart, Mrs. Y. Takeuchl, M. Woroby
1962-1963	?
1963-1964	Mrs. J. Balzar, Miss L. Campbell, Miss M. Kruschel, G. R. Leseclleur, Miss C. Leitch, Mrs. M. MacNeill, Miss M. Marr, Miss M. Marr, Mrs. F. Murash, Miss E. Neufeld, Mrs. D. Penner, A. Shalay, Mrs. A. Stewart, Mrs. Y. Takeuchl, M. Woroby
1964-1965	Miss L. Campbell, Miss M. Claydon, Miss C. Cohen, Miss M. Kruschel, Miss L. Laughlin, Miss C. Leitch, R. LeSeclleur, Mrs. M. MacNeill, Miss M. Marr, Mrs. A. Moroz, Miss E. Neufeld, Miss E. Shoesmith, Mrs. A. Stewart, M. Woroby
1965-1966	?
1966-1967	Miss L. Campbell, Miss M. Claydon, Miss C. Cohen, A. Krahn, Miss R. Kreshka, Miss M. Kruschel, Miss A. Landi, Miss M. L. Marr, Mrs. A. Moroz, Miss J. Posner, Mrs. A. Stewart, Miss J. Urano, M. Woroby
1967-1968	Miss L. Campbell, Miss M. Claydon, Miss C. Cohen, Miss R. Kreshka, Miss M. Kruschel, Miss A. Landi, Mrs. A. Moroz, P. Rosenfeld, Mrs. A. Stewart, Miss K. Unruth, Miss J. Urano, Mrs. J. Wolfe, M. Woroby
1968-1969	Miss A. Bergen, Miss L. Campbell, Miss M. Claydon, Mrs. R. Clyde, Miss C. Cohen, Mrs. M. Fletcher, Miss R. Kreshka, Miss M. Kruschel, Miss A. Landi, W. Miller, Miss O. Seredny, Miss K. Unruh, Miss J. Urano, M. Woroby

Photos & Coordinates

Lansdowne School (May 2020) Source: Nathan Kramer Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.93875, W97.15693 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Lansdowne College (Portage la Prairie)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Lansdowne School No. 145 (RM of Sifton)

Sources:

“Board signals start on school building,” Winnipeg Free Press, 4 November 1953, page 1.

“Contract awarded,” Winnipeg Free Press, 7 April 1954, page 3.

“School building ’forging ahead’,” Winnipeg Free Press, 24 July 1954, page 3.

“Lansdowne School,” Winnipeg Free Press, 16 March 1955, page 3.

“Buffalo board used in schools & homes!” Winnipeg Free Press, 21 September 1954, page 16.

“14 school appointments confirmed,” Winnipeg Free Press, 25 May 1968, page 53.

“Winnipeg teachers’ list announced,” Winnipeg Free Press, 31 August 1968, page 28.

“Majority like idea of school meal plan,” Winnipeg Free Press, 22 October 1974, page 85.

“Mennonite elementary school fast attracting full enrollment,” Winnipeg Free Press, 24 August 1981, page 5.

“School on brink of closing,” Winnipeg Free Press, 12 February 1982, page 3.

Lansdowne School History, Winnipeg School Division.

Winnipeg School Division: Celebrating One Hundred Fifty Years, 1871-2021 by Winnipeg School Division, 2021.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Nathan Kramer.

Page revised: 6 July 2022

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