Saint Willibrord Primary School

Institution founded in 1931, Verdun (Montréal).

In 1931, the Verdun Catholic School Commission asked for a new English-language elementary school. Indeed, the existing school was no longer able to adequately receive such large numbers of students; some had their classes in the basement of McDonald Church. The new Saint Willibrord Primary School was built on a portion of the playground of the already existing overcrowded school on the corner of Verdun and Rielle Avenues. During the construction of Saint Willibrord Primary School, the former elementary school became Saint Willibrord High School. The new school received students from kindergarten to grade 7. Although the school next door received some of the surplus elementary level classes, it was primarily dedicated to adolescents from grade 8 to grade 11. The director of both schools was Sister Saint-Mary-Henry (Georgina Smith); she was assisted by Sister Saint Agnes of the Angels (Agnes Chambers). At the beginning of the 1931 school year, the sisters received eight hundred thirty-seven boys and girls divided into sixteen classes. Immediately, it was difficult for the school to accommodate such a large number of students. For a number of years, the problem of overcrowding continued. Three classrooms were set up in the gymnasium. In 1934, three other classes of boys were transferred to École Notre-Dame-du-Cénacle. In 1936, four more classes were sent to École Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes. In 1946, students, for the first time, received their school books free of charge thanks to a provincial government initiative in collaboration with the Verdun School Commission.

In 1954, the expansion of the basement permitted the opening of additional classrooms. On April 16, 1955, Cardinal Paul-Émile Léger gave the sacrament of Confirmation to eighty-seven boys and fifty-seven girls of the school. The students were very involved in the EucharisticCrusade. In June 1957, they were awarded a trophy at the EucharisticCrusade national competition. In 1958, health and safety inspectors ordered the classrooms in the school basement closed because the temperature in the classrooms was too high for the students’ health. Even with the installation of a ventilation system, the rooms reached temperatures of up to 32 degrees Celsius. The grade 5 girls were temporarily transferred to Saint Willibrord High School. At the beginning of the 1958-1959 school year, the sisters received six hundred twenty-four students, both boys and girls. That same year, the majority of parents attended the first parents night. In 1961, because of inadequate safety exits, the city’s Fire Department ordered the closure of Saint Willibrord Primary School. The sisters moved all their teaching materials to the adjacent Saint Willibrord High School, which became once again an elementary school. The school took the name Saint Willibrord Elementary Girls and Boys School. The young women who attended the high school were transferred to another Verdun school. In 1962, the sisters left the school and its direction was given to the School Board. Saint Willibrord Elementary Girls and Boys School permanently closed at the end of the 1981 school year.

NB: This text was written using documents found in the archival holdings in our possession and does not constitute a complete administrative history of the teaching establishment.

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Saint Willibrord Primary School

Saint Willibrord Primary School

Verdun (Montreal)

Institution fondée en 1931

Dernière adresse : 655, rue Willibrord (école Lévis-Sauvé grounds)

Saint Willibrord Primary School

Saint Willibrord Primary School

Verdun (Montreal)

Institution fondée en 1931

Dernière adresse : 502, 5e avenue (at the corner of rue Verdun)

Saint Willibrord Primary School

Saint Willibrord Primary School

Verdun (Montreal)

Institution fondée en 1931

Dernière adresse : 655, rue Willibrord (école Lévis-Sauvé grounds)

Saint Willibrord Primary School

Saint Willibrord Primary School

Verdun (Montreal)

Institution fondée en 1931

Dernière adresse : 4000, avenue Bannantyne

Saint Willibrord Primary School

Saint Willibrord Primary School

Verdun (Montreal)

Institution fondée en 1931

Dernière adresse : 504, 5e avenue

First location : 655, rue Willibrord (école Lévis-Sauvé grounds)
First location : 655, rue Willibrord (école Lévis-Sauvé grounds)
Second location : 502, 5e avenue (at the corner of rue Verdun)
Second location : 4000, avenue Bannantyne
Third location : 504, 5e avenue