Buildings
St. Gerard School
| Address: | 40 Foster Street |
|---|---|
| Use: | Education |
| Original Use: | Education |
| Architects: | Unknown |
More Information
St. Gerard School is a small community elementary school affiliated with a parish church by the same name across the street.
St. Gerard Parish was originally founded in 1949 in the basement of St. Gerard Chapel which was located at the corner of Talbot and Allen. Under the guidance of Father Cunningham, CSS, with the cooperation of the parishoners, $28, 000 was raised for the building fund. The sod turning for the present school was held on July 9, 1957.
The sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary ran the school from its beginnings until the fall of 1976. Sister Veronica of the Crucifix was the first principal of the school.
From 1957 to 1961, three classrooms in the school were left open to be used as a church on Sundays. From 1957 to 1970, St. Gerard housed grades one to eight. In 1970 it became grade one to six, with kindergarten added later.
In 2000 a new addition was added to the school. This included a gym, library/computer room, staff room and offices. The current basement was redeveloped in 2002 to house three classrooms (grade six, seven and eight) a science/art lab and the cafeteria.
Design Characteristics
| Suburb: | East Elmwood |
|---|
- In the prescribed 'classrooms and gym' combination, the academic wing is two storeys high, probably made from concrete block, in a long rectangle with an entrance/stairway block in a pleasant red brick
- Oriented to a quiet lane on the south side, what was designed as a side entrance now operates as the main entrance and has been given extra attention in what is otherwise a plain white painted wall, from which the larger original windows have been removed to the detriment of the overall design
- The gym portion is especially large and may contain additional facilities for the school population
- The CPR Keewatin rail line runs across the rear yard, which is otherwise well-kept and reasonably spacious