by Deb Lee, Heritage Committee
A couple of years ago, we wrote about our concerns for the future of the 102-year-old Riverside Bungalow. The school, located north of 1 Avenue on the Riverside School property, had provided four classrooms for the burgeoning population of Bridgeland and Riverside children, beginning in the early 1900s. Known as Riverside Bungalow #2, the younger children attended here before they moved to the Riverside Bungalow #1 at the south end of property. Then they advanced to the old sandstone school, which was then called Langevin Junior High School.
The building, owned by the Calgary Board of Education (CBE), sat vacant for over a decade and there seemed little possibility of it being updated and used as a school again. In 2022, the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) was planning to rezone the property for future sale, to be purchased and re-developed or demolished. Former students and Bridgeland residents voiced their concerns, in the hopes that the historic school building could be saved.
Our first sign for optimism was the upgrading of the roof in early 2023. Then, over the next several months, we saw that several waves of work were being done to upgrade the ventilation, heating, and interior of the building. Things were looking up!
Two years later, the doors are once again open to school children — and we are thrilled!
Thanks to the vision and determination of Chloe Dussier, the owner of Wee Wild Ones (WWO) a preschool and afterschool program, the historic school building has been saved. It is leased from CBE and renovated to modern-day standards. No doubt there were numerous challenges to be surmounted, but with persistence and creativity Chloe pushed through them all.
A tour of the former school building featured the original layout: four large, high-ceiling classrooms on the main floor, and office space on the upper level. Washrooms are in the lower level. Two separate north side entrances – originally one for boys and one for girls, still exist. The spacious classrooms have retained some of the blackboards and all their charm, with the original wainscotting, large windows, door frames, and antique doorknobs from 100 years ago. New flooring and white painted walls give the rooms a fresh and spacious feeling. It’s a real treasure to see that the school once again will be a place for local children to enjoy.
The building will accommodate 100 students from Riverside School who are part of the WWO’s after-school program. In the past, students had walked from Riverside School to their program at the CNIB building on 11A Street, south of McDougall Road. In this new setting, they’ll enjoy their after-school time both inside and outside, and they will most likely will be closer to home when the day is done.
Congratulations to Chloe Dussier for her success in repurposing and revitalizing the historic Riverside Bungalow.
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