Selkirk Collegiate Institute / École Selkirk Junior High School / École Murray Sinclair Middle School

Selkirk Collegiate Institute was a key educational institution in Selkirk. As enrollment grew, the school expanded several times before becoming Selkirk Junior High in 1971, École Selkirk Junior High in 1991, and École Murray Sinclair Middle School in 2026.

The exact construction date of the original Selkirk Collegiate Institute building is unknown, but it was built sometime before 1913, as it was mentioned in a newspaper article discussing the quality of education in Selkirk at that time. The original high school was located on Sophia Street and has undergone two major additions over the years.

In 1919, a tender was issued for repairs to the original building. By 1956, a new addition was constructed to help ease overcrowding in the main school. This expansion cost approximately $350,000 and added sixteen new classrooms.

The addition was originally designed with a frame structure, concrete blocks, a brick exterior, and included ten classrooms, a science lab, and an auditorium. Construction was completed in 1961. By that year, the school was divided into three sections: Unit A (the original building), Unit B (the 1956 addition), and Unit C (the new 1961 expansion).”

A Monument is Erected

Between 1966 and 1967, the staff and students of Selkirk Junior High School collaborated on the construction of a monument in front of the school to honor both the legacy of the old school and Canada’s confederation. The cairn, which was erected during this time, bears the inscription: ‘Built by the students, staff, and school board of Selkirk Collegiate Institute under the direction of the Centennial Committee 1966-68 to commemorate Canada’s 100th year of confederation.’

A second monument was erected outside the school to mark Selkirk’s Centennial. This monument, built by the Manitoba Rolling Mills, was generously donated to the school. The statue, crafted from iron, is notably large. One side of the statue bears the year of Selkirk’s incorporation, while the other side features the year of the town’s centennial.

Students Move Schools

In 1971, high school students were relocated from Selkirk Collegiate to the newly constructed Lord Selkirk Regional Comprehensive Secondary School. As a result, Selkirk Collegiate was renamed Selkirk Junior High and became a middle school for students in their early years of secondary education. By 1991, the French Immersion program had expanded to include students from kindergarten to Grade 6. In response, Selkirk Junior High was renamed École Selkirk Junior High and became a dual-track language school. This change allowed the school to receive graduates from the French Immersion elementary school, École Bonaventure.

In 2026, École Selkirk Junior High was renamed École Murray Sinclair Middle School to commemorate the Honourable Murray Sinclair who grew up in Selkirk and attended Selkirk Collegiate Institute as a child.

List of Principals for Selkirk Collegiate

List of Principals for École Selkirk Junior High School

List of Principals for École Murray Sinclair Middle School

Selkirk Collegiate / École Selkirk Junior High School Collection

Click on images to enlarge

Sources

“About Our School,” École Selkirk Junior High
“Historic Sites of Manitoba: Selkirk Collegiate Institute / Selkirk Junior High School (516 Stanley Avenue, Selkirk).” Manitoba Historical Society
“Manitoba Business: Prain and Ward / Ward and Macdonald / Macdonald, Cockburn, McLeod, and McFeetors / MCM Architects.” Manitoba Historical Society
Selkirk Enterprise, 1958, 1972
Winnipeg Free Press, 1913, 1919, 1921, 1961, 1972,