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Sargent Park
School
Image was taken in the Fall of 1997 by R. Link
Sargent Park School History
prepared by
K. Lamb
Long ago, Mr. Sargent, a farmer, owned the land on which Sargent Park School now stands. In 1882, the adjoining street was named "Sargent Avenue". In 1943, some of the land was sold to the City of Winnipeg to build a new school. The school acquired its' name from this thoughtful Winnipeg settler. The surrounding park from Dominion to Wall to Wellington was named "Sargent Park".
Construction on Sargent Park School was started in 1948. It was partially finished by September, 1948, completed on October 23, and the first classes began in January, 1949.
Originally, the school had eight classrooms and an enrollment of 324 students. Over the years Sargent Park has had many face lifts and alterations. A bylaw was passed in 1950 to close a portion of Downing Street to allow for a parking lot and a playground. In 1950, "Sargent Park Place" was constructed at junction of Downing and the parking lot to provide access Dominion St. In 1957, Sargent Park saw an addition of classrooms and an Industrial Arts area. Because of its location and access to the Sargent Park Recreation Center, in 1977, the city made Sargent Park School a kindergarten to grade 9. Expanding population required the addition of 2 "Portables" in 1993. In 1999, a third 'portable classroom' was added.
For over 50 years, Sargent Park School has matured and continues to age gracefully. Today, our school has more than 30 classrooms, has a professional staff of more than 60, and has an enrollment of over 800 students.
1998 marked the 50th Anniversary of Sargent Park School. The celebrations were enjoyed by hundreds of Alumni and former staff. Planning for the 75th will start in a few years. Alumni are encouraged to keep in touch with classmates in the meantime.
Sargent Park Alumni (staff and students) have fond memories of their "school days" here. Today, Alumni walk proudly in the community as they carry the Sargent Park's school "Torch".
The Winnipeg School Division has a history of all schools. The Sargent Park history is located on this link Sacre Coeur to Somerset, in the PDF document, scroll down to Sargent Park. This was prepared in 1992 and details some of the original construction history to avoid quicksand, additions to the school and the 1959 lightning strike.
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