Fonds ath-2033 - Athabasca Public School fonds

In 1894, F.H.Killick, a photographer, was asked by Anglican Bishop Richard Young to begin a school in Athabasca. He started in a tent and moved to an unfinished house in the winter. Louisa (Wooster) White was Athabasca's first teacher to conduct school classes in St. Matthew's Anglican Church in 1896. In 1904 the first Athabasca Public School, located on Skinner Street, opened. Within 10 years it was crowded and a new two-storey brick structure was opened in 1914 with 118 students enrolled. With the addition of the Anglican Church Boys' Hostel in 1938 and the Girls' Hostel in 1941, more high school classroom space was needed. In 1940 two rooms were built beside the Brick School. Another two-roomed school was added in 1944 with a linking structure built in 1945. This was dubbed the Stucco School. In the early 1950's a gymnasium was added to the Brick School. In 1949 a school was begun on the south hill to accommodate the junior high classes. In 1955 the high school moved into that school, named the Edwin Parr Composite School. The Brick School then served as the elementary school until 1966 when Athabasca Elementary School opened in the west part of Athabasca.