St. Paul's High School Expansion

The St. Paul's High School Athletics and Fieldhouse Building Expansion

St. Paul's High School has been a part of the city since 1926. The various teams playing out of this Jesuit school have been known as the Crusaders. Now one might assume that a Catholic school might have come up with that moniker themselves. However, you would be wrong thinking so. The teams for years had been known as Collegians, Paulinians and Paulines. This was wholly unsatisfactory for Winnipeg Tribune and later Free Press writer Vince Leah who called them Crusaders in 1935.

The teams has given so much spirit to the school and the city over the years that it is not surprising that school officials and fundraisers decided it should be a focal point of new development on the campus.

One of the cranes that dots the skyline of Winnipeg is now over St. Paul's High School building the 900 seat fieldhouse. Inside will be basketball and volleyball courts, athletic therapy centre and fitness training area that will also serve the football team. An alumni lounge, dressing rooms, independent washrooms for visitors, storage and offices will occupy the building with parking just off Holland Blvd (named after Father Holland).

The whole facility will be connected by tunnel to the main campus. The $7 million dollar complex will come with a $2 million bursary program. This should make the school an attractive draw for students and parents and very competitive with the 60 other Jesuit secondary schools across the country.

This is a great addition to the city and Charleswood and come on the heels of Shaftesbury School's recent classroom and library expansion and just prior to Canadian Mennonite University's new library and learning centre being built.

This neck of the woods on Grant Avenue has become a vital education power corner.