Mount Benson Elementary School (Nanaimo)
Encyclopedia
Mount Benson Elementary was a public elementary school
located in the Wellington
neighbourhood of Nanaimo, British Columbia
and was part of School District 68 Nanaimo-Ladysmith
. It was closed in 2008.
Opened on the historic Wellington Public School Site, Mount Benson Elementary was the oldest operating school site in British Columbia.
of Dunsmuir & Diggle Co to accommodate a public school for their new coal
town of Wellington
and the families working in the Wellington Colliery. The first official public school on this site was called "Wellington Public School" and opened on May 20, 1875 as part of the Wellington School District which had been created a year earlier. In 1904, a few years after James Dunsmuir
closed the Wellington mine and moved his buildings to Ladysmith
, the school was destroyed by fire. A new one room school was completed in 1906 and was later expanded into a two room school. At this time most of the children's fathers worked for another of Robert Dunsmuir's creations, the E&N Railway
. Wellington was the main works yard and the school was located adjacent to both the main station and the roundhouse. World War II created teacher shortages across British Columbia which was the catalyst for the 1942 amalgamation of Wellington into the "Nanaimo-Ladysmith United Rural School District". The second school was destroyed by fire shortly after 1944 while the community was in the process of creating a neighourhood athletic centre in the school building. In 1945 Wellington's new school district split into "Nanaimo United", and "Ladysmith United", both of which eventually amalgamated into what is the current "Nanaimo-Ladysmith School District
".
In 1950 the school was rebuilt as a 3 classroom school, at which point it received a name change and became Mount Benson Elementary School. The school continued to expand and currently has 10 classrooms.
Mount Benson School closed in June 2008, as a result of provincial funding cuts and policy changes legislated by bill 34 which resulted in 50% of neighbourhood students attending out of catchment.
During 2008 and 2009 the Wellington community and School District have been working towards creating a community centre at the school.
, which the school has an excellent view of, and because it was the public school for children who lived on the north-east slope of the Mountain. The Mountain itself was named after Doctor Alfred Benson, who was an Employee of the Hudson's Bay Company, the first doctor in the area, a photographer, a collier and a friend of Robert Dunsmuir, the founder of Wellington. The name of "Wellington" was moved to the junior high school level with the opening of a Wellington Junior High School
in 1967.
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
located in the Wellington
Wellington, British Columbia
Wellington is the name of a north Nanaimo, British Columbia neighbourhood, which was once the town of Wellington. The community was named for Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington....
neighbourhood of Nanaimo, British Columbia
Nanaimo, British Columbia
Nanaimo is a city on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It has been dubbed the "Bathtub Racing Capital of the World" and "Harbour City". Nanaimo is also sometimes referred to as the "Hub City" because of its central location on Vancouver Island and due to the layout of the downtown...
and was part of School District 68 Nanaimo-Ladysmith
School District 68 Nanaimo-Ladysmith
School District 68 Nanaimo-Ladysmith is a school district on central Vancouver Island in British Columbia. This includes the major centres of Nanaimo and Ladysmith...
. It was closed in 2008.
Opened on the historic Wellington Public School Site, Mount Benson Elementary was the oldest operating school site in British Columbia.
History
The original school site was provided by Robert DunsmuirRobert Dunsmuir
Robert Dunsmuir was a Scottish-Canadian coal miner, railway developer, industrialist and politician. -Origins in Scotland:...
of Dunsmuir & Diggle Co to accommodate a public school for their new coal
History of coal mining
Due to its abundance, coal has been mined in various parts of the world throughout history and continues to be an important economic activity today. Compared to wood fuels, coal yields a higher amount of energy per mass and could be obtained in areas where wood is not readily available...
town of Wellington
Wellington, British Columbia
Wellington is the name of a north Nanaimo, British Columbia neighbourhood, which was once the town of Wellington. The community was named for Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington....
and the families working in the Wellington Colliery. The first official public school on this site was called "Wellington Public School" and opened on May 20, 1875 as part of the Wellington School District which had been created a year earlier. In 1904, a few years after James Dunsmuir
James Dunsmuir
James Dunsmuir was a British Columbian industrialist and politician. Son of Robert Dunsmuir, he was heir to his family's coal fortune. The Dunsmuir family dominated the province's economy in the late nineteenth century and were a leading force in opposing organized labour...
closed the Wellington mine and moved his buildings to Ladysmith
Ladysmith, British Columbia
Ladysmith is a town located on the 49th parallel on the east coast of Vancouver Island British Columbia, Canada. The local economy is based on forestry, tourism and agriculture. A hillside location adjacent to a sheltered harbour form the natural characteristics of the community., the population...
, the school was destroyed by fire. A new one room school was completed in 1906 and was later expanded into a two room school. At this time most of the children's fathers worked for another of Robert Dunsmuir's creations, the E&N Railway
E and N Railway
The Southern Railway of Vancouver Island is in length, and is one of two remaining railways on Vancouver Island, the other being the Englewood Railway. The railroad runs from Victoria to Courtenay, with a branch line from Parksville to Port Alberni...
. Wellington was the main works yard and the school was located adjacent to both the main station and the roundhouse. World War II created teacher shortages across British Columbia which was the catalyst for the 1942 amalgamation of Wellington into the "Nanaimo-Ladysmith United Rural School District". The second school was destroyed by fire shortly after 1944 while the community was in the process of creating a neighourhood athletic centre in the school building. In 1945 Wellington's new school district split into "Nanaimo United", and "Ladysmith United", both of which eventually amalgamated into what is the current "Nanaimo-Ladysmith School District
School District 68 Nanaimo-Ladysmith
School District 68 Nanaimo-Ladysmith is a school district on central Vancouver Island in British Columbia. This includes the major centres of Nanaimo and Ladysmith...
".
In 1950 the school was rebuilt as a 3 classroom school, at which point it received a name change and became Mount Benson Elementary School. The school continued to expand and currently has 10 classrooms.
Mount Benson School closed in June 2008, as a result of provincial funding cuts and policy changes legislated by bill 34 which resulted in 50% of neighbourhood students attending out of catchment.
During 2008 and 2009 the Wellington community and School District have been working towards creating a community centre at the school.
Name
Mount Benson Elementary got its name from Mount BensonMount Benson (British Columbia)
Mount Benson is a mountain located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia located west of Nanaimo. There is road access to the peak making it popular with local hikers...
, which the school has an excellent view of, and because it was the public school for children who lived on the north-east slope of the Mountain. The Mountain itself was named after Doctor Alfred Benson, who was an Employee of the Hudson's Bay Company, the first doctor in the area, a photographer, a collier and a friend of Robert Dunsmuir, the founder of Wellington. The name of "Wellington" was moved to the junior high school level with the opening of a Wellington Junior High School
Wellington Secondary School
Wellington Secondary School is a public high school located in Nanaimo, British Columbia. It is part of School District 68 Nanaimo-Ladysmith and is known for its music, film and athletics programs....
in 1967.