Balmoral Hall School - History

History

Balmoral Hall was founded in 1901 as Havergal College, located at 122 Carlton Street. The name was changed in 1917 to Rupert's Land College to end the confusion with the institution of the same name in Toronto.

Sir James Aikins gave his home, known as Aikins House, to the United Church of Canada upon his death in 1929. In his will, he requested it be used as a girls' school and bestowed further funding to be used to that end. The school was named Riverbend School and opened in September 1929 at Balmoral Hall's present site.

In 1950, due to declining enrollment at both schools, Rupert's Land College amalgamated with the Riverbend School at its site on Westminster Avenue. The new school was christened Balmoral Hall School, after Balmoral Castle in Scotland and classes began in September 1950 under the direction of Miss Gwedolyn Murrell-Wright.

The two schools' mottos, Ad Meliora, or "To Better Things," and Alta Petens, "Seeking New Heights," were combined to form the school's new motto, Meliora Petens, which meant "Seeking Better Things."

In 1955, the Senior School Wing was opened, and in 1967 the school expanded to include the Richardson Building, which housed a new gymnasium as well as new science labs and facilities.

Since then, there have been several other expansions which brought new computer and science laboratories and classrooms, as well as athletic facilities, a theatre and a communications technology centre.

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