Winnipeg School Division celebrates 150 years

Winnipeg School Division celebrates 150 years (Dan Timmerman, CTV News)

WINNIPEG -

The Winnipeg School Division celebrated a big milestone Friday with the division's 150-year anniversary commemoration.

Students from across the division joined in the celebration from the comfort of their classrooms, watching an hour-long performance streamed from Tec Voc High School.

The division opened its first public school, a rented log shanty between Henry Avenue and what is now Higgins Avenue on October 30, 1871, with just 20 students.

Joyce Wong, the transitional planning director for the Winnipeg School Division, has worked for the division most of her life. She said seeing some of the old photographs during the day’s presentation brought back some happy family memories.

“Some of the pictures my brother said to me, ‘I remember skating in that skating rink where there was a shack and a wood stove that kept us warm. We would go home with freezing toes anyways but we sure had fun on that skating rink’,”said Wong.

Since then, it's grown to nearly 33,000 students from a diverse array of communities.

"It provides education for all students, for each and every child with many different programs to support individual needs. I think that the Winnipeg School Division has had a huge impact on many students in Manitoba," said Wong.

The anniversary wish project was also rolled out.

The compilation video, created by Tec Voc broadcasting students, included alumni and others.

Students at each of the division's schools helped design 150 banners which will be hung downtown along Corydon Avenue and on West End lamp posts.

The division has also created a 150 book and is partnering with the art gallery and planting 150 trees this school year.