Selkirk School / Central School

Central School was originally built in 1896 on Eaton Avenue in Selkirk. After being destroyed by fire in 1906, it was rebuilt and reopened in 1907, serving generations of students until its closure in 1947. The historic building was demolished in 1972, and the site is now occupied by a shopping mall and parking lot.

The Selkirk School District was organized in 1878. Selkirk School, also referred to as Central School, was part of the School Division. The three-story school was built in 1896 and was located along the south side of Eaton Avenue. The school consisted of eight classrooms with a central hallway.

In 1906, a fire completely destroyed the school. The school was reconstructed between 1906 and 1907. Many buildings had been impacted by fires that swept through Selkirk during this time. The fire that destroyed Central School is remembered by Hugh Gibbs, who wrote the following about the aftermath,

“There was a good reason for the fire drills. Back in the teens the school was gutted by fire. Only the brick walls were left standing. Postcards used to be sold at Gibbs’ Drug Store and one of them was a photograph of the burned out hulk of Central School.”

Central School Gets an Upgrade

In 1907, the school was repaired and received a much-needed renovation, which cost $11,000. William England, a Winnipeg-based architect, designed the renovations of Central School. He preserved many of the original design elements the school had before the fire. The school’s reconstruction resulted in a two-story brick building with a central hallway and classrooms.

Central School reopened in September 1907. According to former student Hugh Gibbs, Central School was the largest in town and regularly held fire drills, with second-floor students practicing how to slide down the fire escape. Kenneth Howard remembers these fire drills in his book, where he writes:

“A great achievement in those school years was to be promoted to the 2^nd floor and therefore eligible to slide down the open trough fire escape on the weekly fire drill. The coming and going to school was always adventurous but it often meant breaking parents’ rules.”

Central schools’ adventures didn’t stop there, with students practicing sliding down the fire escapes. An article posted in the Selkirk Weekly Journal in August 1907 raised concerns that Central School may not be able to open on time due to a delayed shipment of desks.

Central School had a part to play during World War I. The townspeople of Selkirk banded together to organize a Returned Soldiers Association, which welcomed veterans home and arranged employment and housing. The association also organized a Victory Parade held in December 1919. On a Wednesday night, a group of men and boys marched through the streets of Selkirk and headed to Central School.

Student Recollections of Central School

The book Stories of Selkirk’s Pioneers and their Heritage contains several students’ recollections of Central School. These are just a few:

Gunnar Johannson had quite a reputation as a trumpet player. According to Kenneth Howard, the author of Selkirk’s Pioneers and their Heritage, Gunnar’s reputation began during his student days at Central School, where he would play the trumpet under the direction of Mrs. Angus. Ken relays that Gunner remembered Mrs. Angus as

“A very strict and very good teacher, who took a personal interest in his musical development both as a member of the band and as his accompanist in Selkirk and District’s and Winnipeg’s Musical Festivals.”

Kenneth Howard recalls his time at Central school:

“My first day in school started in September 1929. Bessie Jefferson took me that morning to Grade 1 class under Miss Nixon, at the old Central School on Eaton Avenue, Miss Gobert was the Principal. I certainly respected her but my God I was afraid of her, she dominated the scene in her small lace collar and cameo brooch, holding the hand bell signifying her badge of authority.”

Final Years of Central School

In 1920, Central / Selkirk School opted to move the high school students to Devonshire Collegiate, just down the street, due to overcrowding. Before 1920, high school students had been taught at the Selkirk Central school. Central School remained open for another 27 years as a middle school before closing in 1947. After World War II, Central School sat vacant. The Town of Selkirk wished to move the Selkirk Library into Central School. The library occupied the former Central School from 1959 to 1960.

In the mid-1950’s Frank Kovitz had a plan to construct a shopping center on the site where Devonshire Collegiate Institute and Central School stood. He went to the bank and verbally secured a $3,000,000 mortgage with the Toronto Dominion Bank. His plan included housing his sewing factory on the second floor, which would provide 150 jobs. The Town of Selkirk received a federal grant of $67,000 to demolish the old Central School, Devonshire School, and Victoria School. On February 9, 1972, Central School was demolished. Today, the site is home to a shopping mall and a parking lot.

List of Principals Before Central School Became the Junior High

1887-1888	Felton Strudwicke Chapman
1889-1890	F.G. Brien
1891	Farquhar McRae
1892-1894	Francis Kethel “Frank” Coleridge
1894-1900	Archibald Wesley Hooper
1900-1903	Percy Dewart Harris
1903-1904	Hugh William Watson
1904-1905	Norman Benson Tufts
1905-1906	A.A. McNeil
1906-1909	O.D. Terry
1910	Peter Robert Loutit
1911-1912	?
1913-1914	Miss Hall
1915-1919	?
1920-1921	?

List of Principals Once Central School Became the Junior High

1929-1945	Nellie Blanche Lyons Gobert
1946-1947	Sarah “Ruth” Swanson