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This article was published 3/7/2018 (1175 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
A local park now bears the name of a Sisler High School principal who has done much for his students and his community.
A local park now bears the name of a Sisler High School principal who has done much for his students and his community.
On June 25, Coun. Mike Pagtakhan (Point Douglas) welcomed Sisler High School students, staff, and community members to the renaming of Burrows-King Edward Park to George Heshka Park (2165 Burrows Ave.). On May 18, City council unanimously approved the motion to rename the park.
Heshka has been a principal at Sisler since 1980 and is known for his love of literature and education. He has devoted his life to teaching and social activism, and is known as "Mr. Inner City" due to his work on behalf of those in need. Thousands of students have been positively affected by his 38 years of dedication to education.
"One of the great Winnipeggers that always resonated with me was Heshka and what he does at Sisler," Pagtakhan said. "Unbelievable students have come out from there, I have family members who graduated from there, friends who have graduated from there and some of their kids who are products of this school, so it’s an amazing school, and a lot of that is through the leadership of Heshka and his team."
He has nominated 10 teachers to the Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence. He was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012, and was made an honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of Winnipeg, as well as being officially invested into the Order of Manitoba on July 15, 2013.
"He truly is a legendary principal in the entire Canada," Orysya Petryshyn, a teacher at Sisler, said. "He is our legend."
Although Heshka has been a principal to the school for almost 40 years, he said he doesn’t have plans to retire anytime soon.
"People ask me how much longer I’ll be there, and you know what, I’m having fun, so why leave? Look at the kids, who wants to leave them? They are beautiful," he said.
The second part to the renaming is installing a monument with Heshka’s history and photo which will take place later this summer.
PHOTO BY LIGIA BRAIDOTTI
George Heshka (centre) with Sisler High School students and staff who celebrated the park’s renaming.
Ligia Braidotti
Community journalist — The Times
Ligia Braidotti was the community journalist for The Times until 2019.