The following excerpts are from the book  STRATHCONA SCHOOL 1873 – 1961, published in 1961: FOREWORD When Mr. Carl Barton, principal of Strathcona School, proposed that the story of our school be written, he had in mind the recording of highlights that might be of interest to past and present pupils and to visitors, rather than a [...]

 (L) Vancouver High School (1893 – 1904)     (R) Vancouver High School (1905 – 1908)   (All written passages are taken from THE FIRST FIFTY YEARS – VANCOUVER HIGH SCHOOLS 1890 – 1940, published by the Vancouver School Board in 1940.) PART ONE             TEMPORARY HOMES: Central School; a two-room wooden [...]

History of the FAIRVIEW HIGH SCHOOL OF COMMERCE to 1940.                                                                                                                                           Author: Mr. W. K. Beech, M.A. (Queen’s), Principal of the Fairview School. [...]

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  Author:  Lisa Glandt, MAS. With the support of the VSB Archives and Heritage Committee, I recently updated the historical exhibits at Sir William Van Horne Elementary and organized our records into a school archive collection. A full disclaimer – aside from being a mom of 2 kids who attend Van Horne, I am a professional Archivist and [...]

   Date: 1917 In 1917, the Vancouver Board of School Trustees commissioned two school administrators,  Principal W. H. Vance and Dr. John Mckay, to conduct a thorough evaluation of the ‘efficiency’ of the Vancouver School District. As shown in the following extracts, Vance and Mckay were granted broad powers and means to conduct their [...]

Vancouver ‘s Open Air School was operated by the Rotary Club.   The first “Open Air” schools appeared in Germany and Britain in the early 1900s. They were seen as playing a key role in eradicating tuberculosis, an often fatal lung disease. Proponents of Open Air schools believed (wrongly, as later research showed) that [...]

      This history Of Britannia High School was published in the school newspaper in four installments during October 1938 – May 1939. It is a remarkable story of challenges met, disappointments overcome, traditions celebrated. The contributions of beloved teachers and student heroes are described in detail. The tone is, by [...]

      Elsie was born on December 28, 1917. Her family had come to Canada from Northumberland, England in 1907. They first settled in High River, Alberta, where her father pursued his trade as a carpenter.  A few years later, the family moved to Calgary, where Elsie’s brother Douglas Henderson was born in September 1914. The [...]

  Two widely separated City Blocks figure prominently in the history of the Vancouver School Board.  Each block witnessed changes in the site of the Vancouver School Board. BLOCK 37 (1893- 1951)   1893     Construction of Vancouver High School nears completion. At centre is the one-floor, two-room wooden building that at [...]