Buildings

Wolseley School

Address:511 Clifton Street
Use:Educational
Original Use:Educational
Constructed:1921
Other Work:Additions (1959, 1968, 2003)
Architects:Winnipeg School Division, In-house
Contractors:Conito Construction Co (1959)
Pembina Construction Co. (1959)

More Information

This school was included in the study for two reasons, firstly it illustrates what style informed much of the plan for the 1950s school construction in the division, if not the detailing, and secondly, it is an example of the successful adaptation and evolution of a school over a period of decades while maintaining a respectful appreciation of the building's history.

Wolseley elementary school, named in honour of British military commander Garnet Wolseley (1822-1913) who led the Red River Expedition to to confront the Rebelling Metis of the then Red River Colony (later Manitoba) in 1870, opened in 1921; it is a charming design, as low and spreading as any 1950s school but with period decoration in brick and stone pegs it to its era.

Design Characteristics

Suburb:Wolseley
  • The need for more space pushed an addition on the north side in 1959 of kindergarten classrooms and a multi-purpose room; more classes were needed by 1968; in 2003, a large new addition was made to be compatible with the more recent sections and some alteration were also made to tie older portions together while retaining the look of the earliest portions