Westmount Community School

Description of the Historic Place

Westmount Community School is a large brick building located in the Westmount neighbourhood at 411 Avenue J North. Constructed in 1912, Westmount School reflects the Collegiate Gothic style of architecture which emphasized simple, bold lines.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of Westmount Community School resides in its association with education in Saskatoon’s early beginnings. Saskatoon School District had foreseen future demands for educational facilities in the Westmount area and purchased a block of land for the purposes of constructing a ten room school. The school was built on land which was homesteaded by Archie Brown, one of the first settlers west of the South Saskatchewan River. Westmount Community School opened in April of 1913 with five rooms, accommodating Grades 1 through 5.  Student numbers steadily increased over the next few years and new rooms were subsequently opened between 1913 and 1916. During the years of World War II, students from Bedford Road Collegiate attended classes at Westmount because the collegiate was being used as the Initial Training Centre for the R.C.A.F.

Westmount Community School is also valued for its association with George Cairns and his wife Viola, who lived with their family at the school while Cairns served as a caretaker in the late 1940s. "Eagle-eye Cairns," as he was fondly referred to, became very involved as a coach, referee, mentor and friend of many of the Westmount Community School students. He went on to become Assistant Buildings Superintendent and then Superintendent of Caretakers for the Public School System. Several notable students attended Westmount Community School including Roy Romanow, former Premier of Saskatchewan and Chief Justice Ernest Boychuk. 

The heritage value of Westmount Community School also lies in its Collegiate Gothic architectural style. Built to the same design as its neighbor - King George School, the school was designed by David Webster. Webster was the official Public School Board architect from 1911 to 1914, and designed all but two of the ten large schools in Saskatoon. In 1974, a major addition to the building was constructed, and in 1976 the old school gymnasium was demolished. In 2013, the school commissioned a centennial mural with support from the Saskatoon Public School Foundation. Local artist and former Westmount Community School graduate, Jeff Bluesky Crowe, completed a 25-foot mural that hangs in the gym entitled My Grandmother’s Teachings.

Today, the ‘castle-like’ design of Westmount Community School adds character and visual appeal to the surrounding area, and continues to stand as an important landmark in the Westmount neighbourhood.

Source: City of Saskatoon Built Heritage Database

Character Defining Elements

Key elements which contribute to the heritage value of this historic resource include:

• Those features that relate to its historical and cultural value including its imposing and elaborate appearance representative in its form and its continued use as an educational facility; and
• Its Collegiate Gothic (castle school) style of architecture, evident in: its brick façade, central tower, and castle like turrets.