Feb. 27, 1951: Victoria Composite High School a boon for both younger students and adults
Victoria Composite High School was hailed as one of the world’s most complete teaching establishment by educators across the continent during its official opening just north of downtown.
Combining academic, commercial and technical facilities in one unit, the new structure represented the outstanding achievement in Edmonton’s school history.
Educational authorities in Eastern Canada and the U.S. had shown interest in many of the school’s innovations.
The school had a main building and four radiating wings. One wing housed technical shops serving woodworking, electrical, motor mechanics and other industrial classes.
The southeast wing was used for language and social studies classes, while the home economics wing includes two food labs and two clothing design classrooms.
The school would benefit not only students, but also the roughly 1,000 adults taking evening classes.
Superintendent of schools, Ross Sheppard, acknowledged the co-operation from both city council and the federal government.
Council contributed threequarters of the cost of the school’s swimming pool and the federal government kicked in $200,000 for contruction of the shops.
Today, the school, 10210 108 Avenue, is known as Victoria
School of the Arts.