St Angela’s School

The Calgary Separate School Board leased a one-room school from Mr. Rooney in Serani Estates and named it Bridgeland School. It served the many Catholic children who lived in the Bridgeland-Riverside area. It was the forerunner to St. Angela’s School, the fifth school to be opened by the Calgary Roman Catholic School District No. 1.

The first teacher was Mrs. Julia Hector, who later served as principal until 1923. Student enrollment increased rapidly, and on April 14, 1915, a cottage school next to

Bridgeland‑Riverside School was rented and renovated to provide a second classroom. In 1916, the nearly completed St. Paul’s Lutheran Church was purchased for $10,500 and became the permanent site of the school.

St. Angela’s School 231 – 6 Street NE Calgary. Circa 1916

The school opened on October 13, 1913, at 231 – 6 Street NE Calgary. In 1923 the name of the school was changed to St. Angela’s, the name of the Foundress of the Ursuline Sisters, in anticipation that this Order of Nuns would staff the school. Due to lack of Ursuline personnel, this did not occur. Mary English served as Principal from August 1923 until August 1949.

In 1926 the upper story of St. Angela’s was converted into classrooms making it a six-room school. Further additions were added in 1955 and 1960. The school accommodated Grades 1 to 9 until 1965 when it was converted to a strictly elementary school. In 1971, the section of which was the original Lutheran Church, was demolished and in its place a modern administrative complex, with gymnasium and stage were erected.

St. Angela’s school parishes were Our Lady of Perpetual Help and Our Lady of Grace. When the school closed in 2021 the school was a very multi-cultural community with a student population representing 35 different cultures. The school, therefore, made a concerted effort to access many organizations in Calgary to help these new families that had immigrated to Canada.

Group of the first students to attend St. Angela’s

Inside a classroom at St. Angela’s

Written by: Jackie Kleiner

Photos and Sources:

● Calgary Catholic School District https://www.cssd.ab.ca/history Calgary Catholic School District. (1985).

● Historical Sketches: A centennial publication. Calgary Catholic School District.

Editorial Review: Reviewed and formatted by the Calgary Italian History Project for web publication