The origins of Neil Campbell School
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This article was published 14/11/2021 (562 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The creation of Neil Campbell School can be traced to an agreement signed between the then Municipality of East Kildonan and BACM (the forerunner of Genstar Community Development, founded in 1950 by the Simkin family) in April 1954.
The agreement gave the company all of the municipally owned land in the area from Neil Avenue north to Leighton Avenue from Roch to Raleigh streets. The company was given the right to develop the area for residential, commercial and industrial development and was to provide all of the local improvements required such as sewer and water, street paving, paved sidewalks and streetlights.
Prior to this development, the area was lightly dotted with homes so there was no elementary school in the district. Students living in the area went to school at either Lord Wolseley or Prince Edward schools. As part of its agreement, BACM was required to build a new, eight-room elementary schooat a cost of approximately $120,000, and then turn it over to the East Kildonan School District. The first location looked at for the new school was the east side of Watt Street between Hazel Dell Aand Oakview avenues but the decision was soon made to move the location one block to the east, at 845 Golspie St.
The building of the new homes in the immediate catchment area of Neil Campbell School began in 1955 in the 400 blocks of Kimberly, Helmsdale, Dunrobin, Oakview, Linden, Greene and Roberta avenues. Home construction in the 500 blocks began in 1956, and construction of new homes in the 600 blocks began in 1957, 1958 and 1959.
Prior to 1955 there had been a small number of homes on these streets buthere were homes on the south side of the 600 block of Oakview to the power lines, as well as one house in the 600 block of Hazel Dell.
These two 600 blocks were eliminated when Neil Campbell School was built. Some of the old homes in the 400, 500 blocks and 600 blocks that still exist today date to the early 1920s. when Oakview Avenue east of Henderson Highway was called Hawarden Avenue and Hazel Dell Avenue east of Henderson Highway was called Donegal Avenue.
These streets were changed to their present names in the late 1920s. Most of what is now the school grounds was used as a grazing area for a small number of cattle.
Neil Campbell School opened in November 1956.
Jim Smith is a community correspondent for Elmwood, East Kildonan and North Kildonan. Email him at jimsmith@mts.net
Jim Smith
Jim Smith is a community correspondent for Elmwood, East Kildonan and North Kildonan. Email him at jimsmith@mts.net