McKay Avenue School facts for kids
Quick facts for kids McKay Avenue School |
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McKay Avenue School in 2012
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| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Museum |
| Architectural style | Richardsonian Romanesque |
| Address | 10425 99th Avenue NW, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
| Coordinates | 53°32′12.77″N 113°30′00.53″W / 53.5368806°N 113.5001472°W |
| Named for | Dr. William MacKay |
| Construction started | 1904 |
| Completed | 1905 |
| Client | Edmonton Public Schools |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Henry Denny Johnson |
| Official name: McKay Avenue School | |
| Designated: | 18 May 1976 |
The McKay Avenue School is a very old building in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It used to be a school, but now it's a special historic site. It's recognized as an important historic place by both the province and the city. Today, the building is home to the Edmonton Public School Board's archives and a museum.
Contents
History of McKay Avenue School
The First Schoolhouse (1881)
The very first school building on this spot was a small, one-room wooden house. It was built in 1881. The land for the school was given by the Hudson's Bay Company, which was a very old trading company in Canada. Money to build the school was collected by local people like Matthew McCauley. This first school was simple, with a porch, double doors, and eight large windows.
Building the New School (1905)
As more people moved to Edmonton, the city needed a bigger school. So, a new, much larger school was planned. An architect named Henry Denny Johnson designed the new building. It was a three-storey school with eight classrooms. Johnson designed it in a style called Richardsonian Romanesque, which uses strong, heavy stone and round arches.
Construction started in 1904. A very important person, Lord Minto, who was the Governor General of Canada (the Queen's representative in Canada), helped start the building by laying a special stone called the cornerstone. The new McKay Avenue School was finished and opened on September 1, 1905. This was a very important day for Alberta, because it was the same day Alberta officially became a province of Canada!
A Temporary Parliament Building
The McKay Avenue School played a big role in Alberta's early history. The main government building, the Alberta Legislature Building, wasn't built yet. So, the first government meetings for the new province of Alberta were held right inside the McKay Avenue School! The members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta (the group of people who make laws for Alberta) met there in 1906 and 1907.
During these important meetings, they made big decisions. They decided that Edmonton would be the capital city of Alberta. They also started the University of Alberta and set up the province's courts. The school was named after Dr. William MacKay, a doctor who worked for the Hudson's Bay Company. Even though his name was spelled "MacKay," the school's name kept the spelling "McKay."
School Closes (1983)
Over many years, fewer students lived in the downtown Edmonton area. By 1983, only 59 students were attending McKay Avenue School. Because of the low number of students, the school closed its doors on June 30, 1983.
Edmonton Public Schools Archives and Museum
Today, the McKay Avenue School is home to the Edmonton Public Schools Archives and Museum. This is a special place where old records and items related to Edmonton's public schools are kept and studied.
What You Can See and Do
The museum offers fun and educational programs for students. It also has exhibits that show the history of Edmonton Public Schools and Alberta's early government. You can see a classroom set up to look like it did in the 1950s. There's also a restored room that looks just like the legislative assembly room where Alberta's first politicians met in 1906. For a short time between 2019 and 2020, the museum even hosted a special exhibit from the Anne Frank House.
Restoration and Reopening
In 2013, the McKay School had a flood, which caused a lot of damage. The building needed big repairs that cost a lot of money. Many groups, including the Edmonton Public School Board, the City of Edmonton, and the governments of Alberta and Canada, worked together to raise the money needed. Private donors also helped. The building was repaired by 2016 and reopened to the public in October 2018.
The museum also includes the original small schoolhouse from the 1880s. This old schoolhouse is right next to the main McKay Avenue School building. It is used for special education programs at the museum.
