Historic Sites of Manitoba: Oakenwald School (666 Oakenwald Avenue, Winnipeg)

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

Constructed in 1954 at a cost of $150,000 by the Fort Garry School District, later the Fort Garry Municipal School District, the cornerstone with an enclosed time capsule (opened in 2004 for the school’s 50th anniversary) of the ten-classroom school was laid by Norman Neuman. The exterior was finished with brick and stucco school, and was officially opened on 25 June 1954 by Clifford Knox Rogers before a crowd of 600. Other notables included R. Darwin Chase, William Scott Neal, and Leslie Raymond “Ray” Fennell. Hosting grades 1 to 6, the building was soon expanded in 1957 with six additional classrooms, at the cost of $80,000.

A plaque and tree in front of the school commemorate former student Kristofor Adam “Kris” Graham (1975-1988).

Principals

Period	Principal
1954-1963	Violet Labey Robertson (1901-1989)
1963-1971	Elsie Claire Dewar (1907-1994)
1971-?	?
?-1979	Dennis Wilson
1979-1989	?
1989-1994	Frank Wynes
1995	Lorraine Evelyn Henley (1944-2018)
2004	Elaine Hansen
2012	Dave Poersch
2014	Teresa Rogers

Teachers

No information.

Photos & Coordinates

Oakenwald School (August 2014) Source: Nathan Kramer Commemorative plaque for former student Kris Graham at Oakenwald School (August 2014) Source: Nathan Kramer Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.84515, W97.14153 denoted by symbol on the map above

Sources:

“Oakenwald School exterior finished,” Winnipeg Free Press, 26 January 1954, page 3.

“Rogers opens school at Oakenwald,” Winnipeg Free Press, 26 June 1954, page 8.

“1,300 pupils at Fort Garry,” Winnipeg Free Press, 21 August 1954, page 3.

“Fort Garry,” Winnipeg Free Press, 24 August 1957, page 3.

“Elsie Claire Dewar feted on retirement,” Winnipeg Free Press, 2 July 1971, page 25.

“School’s reopening to affect others,” Winnipeg Free Press, 18 May 1979, page 3.

“Pageant of Christmas,” Winnipeg Free Press, 22 December 1989, page 27.

“Fort Garry School Division No. 5,” Winnipeg Free Press, 10 March 1990, page 6.

“Close-up on early education,” Winnipeg Free Press, 28 March 1993, page 49.

“Reunion mayhem expected,” Winnipeg Free Press, 31 May 1994, page 20.

“Manners matters at this school,” Winnipeg Free Press, 6 October 1995, page A4.

“Oakenwald celebrating 50th anniversary,” Winnipeg Free Press Neighbours South, 2 June 2004, page 1.

“Noise kicked to back of class,” Winnipeg Free Press, 23 November 2012, page B4.

Henderson’s Winnipeg and Brandon Directories, Peel’s Prairie Provinces, University of Alberta Libraries.

This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.

Page revised: 21 August 2020

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