Robert Smith School

Robert Smith School opened in 1959 it was named after former Selkirk mayor and Manitoba Rolling Mills manager, Robert Smith. Originally built as a junior high school, it later expanded and evolved into a elementary school serving Kindergarten to Grade 6 students.

Robert Smith School was constructed in 1959 by Watchler Manufacturing Company Limited and completed in just five months. The building featured sixteen classrooms, an auditorium, and several specialized learning spaces. It officially opened to junior high students in November 1959 during an unveiling ceremony. It was named in honour of Robert Smith, a former manager of the Manitoba Rolling Mills and Mayor of Selkirk from 1936 to 1937.

As school district consolidations began around 1959 and rural students were bused into town, the school board had little choice but to invest in new facilities. The school was completed that same year, and by 1961, an addition was built onto the nine-year-old Selkirk Collegiate. At the time it had 421 students enrolled, leading to two spare classrooms being used for Grade 5 students. With only one spare room remaining, it became clear that more space was needed. The Lord Selkirk School Division would soon face a decision: expand the existing school or construct an entirely new one to accommodate the growing student population.

A Place For the Community

The school served as a hub for student events, including Christmas concerts and charity drives that welcomed parents and the wider community. In 1974, the Selkirk Public Library relocated its services to both Robert Smith School and the Lord Selkirk Regional Comprehensive Secondary School. The library housed fiction and children’s books, while the Comprehensive School’s library focused on adult and reference materials. In 1985, the school underwent an expansion that added two classrooms to accommodate more kindergarten students. Since then it has transitioned into a full elementary school, now offering programming from Kindergarten to Grade 6, along with a preschool program.

List of Principals from Robert Smith School

List of Vice Principals from Robert Smith School

Robert Smith School Collection

Click on images to enlarge

Sources

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Robert Smith School (300 Sophia Street, Selkirk), Manitoba Historical Society
Selkirk Enterprise, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1976
Selkirk Journal, 1985, 1986