About Lansdowne

June 11, 2024

Allez Lions!

École Lansdowne a ouvert ses portes comme centre d'immersion pour le Nord de Winnipeg en avril, 1984. Lansdowne comprend 585 élèves de la pré-maternelle à la huitième année. Lansdowne a été agrandi et complètement renouvelé en 1994. Elle a maintenant un grand gymnase, une bibiliothèque entièrement automatisée, un laboratoire d'informatique et une salle de musique bien équipées.

École Lansdowne encourage l'apprentissage et l'appréciation de la langue et de la culture française, tout en respectant la diversité de cultures et de styles de vie. Le code de conduite de l'école reflète les droits et les responsabilités des élèves, des parents et du personnel.

Le comité de parents participe activement à la vie de l'école. Tous les parents sont les bienvenues aux réunions du comité tenues à tous les deux mois. De nombreux bénévoles assistent le personnel dans un grand nombre d'activités variées.

La grande majorité des élèves viennent à l'école en autobus scolaire et reste à l'école le midi.

Home of the Lions

Lansdowne school was built in 1954. By September, 1979, declining enrollment (137 students) became an issue and school closure was considered.

Faced with the enrollment issue and new public demands for French Immersion and language programs, the Winnipeg School Division voted to close Lansdowne as of June 30, 1982. Their pupils were redirected to Robertson School.

École Lansdowne opened as a French Milieu school in August of 1984. The school population consisted of 88 students in Kindergarten through Grade 2. Soeur Dumesnil served as principal from 1984-1987. In 1987, Maryse Mymin was appointed principal and she served in that capacity until 1998. Replacing Mme Mymin was Dolorès Hébert who served from 1998 until 2003. In 2002, because of increasing enrollment a vice-principal was appointed. Mme Chantelle Deslauriers-Gray became the first vice-principal of our school. With the retirement of Mme Hébert in June 2003, Mme Deslauriers-Gray became principal and M. Donald Teel became our new vice-principal. M. Teel left Lansdowne in 2008 and M. Manuel Silva arrived as the new vice-principal.

Currently, the Principal is Mme Jessica Mayor-Rodrigues and the Vice-Principal is Mme Ashley Morrison. Enrollment is now 627 students from Nursery to Grade 8.

We at Lansdowne proudly celebrated our twenty-fifth anniversary as an immersion school in 2009.

History

Prepared August, 1992 - Updated 2010 - Lansdowne School was built in 1954 as a single storey, 15,000 sq. ft. facility that included 10 classrooms and a general purpose room. In 1959, a 5,450 sq. ft. addition provided four new classrooms and alterations to the existing structure. By September 1979, declining enrolment at the school had become an issue and closure was considered. In 1982, Lansdowne School finally closed its doors; enrolment at the time of closure was 77 students. These students were sent to nearby Robertson School to continue their education.

However, increasing demands for French Immersion and languages programming prompted a Lansdowne revival. École Lansdowne opened as a French Milieu school in August 1984. Soeur Léonne Dumesnil was Lansdowne’s first milieu principal.

In 1993, a major 22,500 sq. ft. addition and alteration was undertaken to provide three classrooms, a gymnasium, two kindergarten rooms, a library, washrooms and storage areas as well as other interior/exterior modifications. The project was completed in September 1994.

In May 2010, Lansdowne students and staff celebrated 25 years as a milieu school. (Sources: building department documents, official opening program from 1994)

Marquis of Lansdowne (1845 - 1927)

Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquis of Lansdowne and a member of the Irish nobility, was Canada’s fifth Governor General after Confederation and the fourth Irishman to be so honoured. Lansdowne was born in 1845 and was educated at Eton and Oxford. He succeeded to the title at 21 and immediately became active in the House of Lords. At 26, he was appointed a Lord of the Treasury and served as Under-Secretary for War from 1872 to 1874. He was named Secretary for India in 1880, but resigned this post following a difference with Gladstone over Irish Home Rule. Appointed Governor General of Canada in 1883, his tenure was relatively uneventful, despite the tensions of the Riel Rebellion. An ardent fisherman and outdoorsman, he enjoyed fishing in New Brunswick and it is recorded that in four seasons, he had taken 1,245 salmon.

He travelled twice to the west coast. His first visit was largely by primitive means of travel and he visited many Indian tribes and witnessed their rituals. In contrast, his second trip was by way of the new Canadian Pacific Railway and he thus became the first Governor General to use the line all the way. Returning to England in 1888, Lansdowne was at once appointed Viceroy of India where he served till 1893. He turned down the ambassadorship to Russia and served in various cabinet posts. He was War Secretary when the South African war broke out and took some of the blame for the country’s unpreparedness. Later, he served as Foreign Secretary for five years and Leader of the Unionist Opposition in the House of Lords. He joined the wartime coalition government without portfolio, but resigned in 1917 and led a group seeking to promote overtures for peace with Germany. He died in 1927 at his daughter’s home near Clonmel in Tipperary.

Construction

Built: 1953 - 55
Opened: September 1954
Cornerstone: July 8, 1954 by Mrs. N. Partrick
Contractor: Semmler Construction Co.
Contract: $151,164 (actual cost $158,205)
No. of rooms: 10 plus general purpose room
Addition: August 1959
Contractor: Ole’s Construction Co.
Contract: $57,875
No. of rooms: 2 classrooms, 2 kindergarten rooms, alterations to existing structure and portable classrooms moved to Robertson School
Addition: 1993
Constructed: 1993–94
Opened: 1994
Contractor: Red Lake Construction Co. Ltd.
Cost: $3,218,000
Architect: Guntis Rozitis (WSD Architect)
No. of Rooms: three classrooms, gymnasium, two kindergarten rooms, library, washrooms and storage areas as well as other interior and exterior modifications.