St. John's College Ladies School
Though little is known about the St. John's College Ladies School today, we do know, thanks to University of Manitoba scholar and author of St. John's College: Faith and Education in Western Canada (2006) J.M. Bumsted, that the school was originally established as a response to the need for Protestant education in the North West. Reverend David Jones established the Red River Academy in 1833 with assistance from the Hudson's Bay Company, and in the first year 17 boys and 16 girls were enrolled, with the Reverend supervising the boys' education as Headmaster, and the Reverend's wife supervising the female students.
At the time, the school operated out of a two-story wooden building with the two wings of the house housing classrooms, one wing for boys, the other for girls.
After a steep decline in enrolment in the late 1840s, the Red River Academy was re-opened under the leadership of Bishop David Anderson in 1866 and became St. John's College.
But the Ladies School was only officially incorporated into the College in 1879, and by "late 1880, a building for the ladies' school had been erected... The building was on a three-acre lot near the cathedral between the river and Main Street." (Bumsted, 35)
The building included on W. G. Fonseca's map no longer stands and the exact date of its demolition remains unclear, as does its exact location, but, as included in Bumsted's book, the school stood near the cathedral, between the Red River and Main Street.
For more information regarding education in the Red River area, please consult St. John's College: Faith and Education in Western Canada by J.M. Bumsted (2006).
The building has since been demolished, but it would have stood somewhere in St.John's Park, South of the St. John's Cathedral.
At the time, the school operated out of a two-story wooden building with the two wings of the house housing classrooms, one wing for boys, the other for girls.
After a steep decline in enrolment in the late 1840s, the Red River Academy was re-opened under the leadership of Bishop David Anderson in 1866 and became St. John's College.
But the Ladies School was only officially incorporated into the College in 1879, and by "late 1880, a building for the ladies' school had been erected... The building was on a three-acre lot near the cathedral between the river and Main Street." (Bumsted, 35)
The building included on W. G. Fonseca's map no longer stands and the exact date of its demolition remains unclear, as does its exact location, but, as included in Bumsted's book, the school stood near the cathedral, between the Red River and Main Street.
For more information regarding education in the Red River area, please consult St. John's College: Faith and Education in Western Canada by J.M. Bumsted (2006).
The building has since been demolished, but it would have stood somewhere in St.John's Park, South of the St. John's Cathedral.
