School History

St. Andrew’s Parish, established in 1908, was the third parish to be established in Vancouver. During the 1946-1947 school year, the old parish hall was remodeled into a parochial school. It is interesting to note that Mr. Boughen, the architect, estimated the cost of changing the hall into a suitable facility for the school to be $9,170.00. This price did not include the furnishings.

Archbishop William M. Duke approved the request of the pastor, Rev. P.H. Smeets to establish a school on December 13, 1945. Many parishioners of St. Andrew’s attended the Board meetings at Vancouver City Hall before city approval was granted. Father Smeets wrote to the Archbishop: “We, the parishioners and myself, feel very grateful. It was a hard fight. The presence of so many of our parishioners at the City Hall meetings no doubt had a decided effect on the Board.” Later, in concluding his letter to the Archbishop, Father Smeets mentioned that the school would be of benefit to the spiritual and temporal good of our parishioners.
The plans for the original school in the old parish hall indicate that the building was on 48th Avenue in direct line south of the walkway between the present Rectory and Church. There were 65 feet of playground to the east of the school and 80 feet to the west.

The architect, Mr. Broughen, is quoted in his correspondence to Archbishop Duke, on January 3, 1946: “Father Smeets and St. Andrew’s Parish are to be congratulated upon having, in my opinion, a very fine property there, very suitable in all respects for a good school site.”
The original staff consisted of four Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto. St. Andrew’s School was staffed for its first 17 years by the Sisters from this distinguished teaching order. Lay teachers were added around the item of the construction of the new school in 1963-1964. The present eight room school building was built on 47th Avenue to the west of the church building in 1964. Several houses were purchased to make room for the new school. Agnes and Gordon Heys, an aunt and uncle of our present Grade 7 teacher, Monica Low, were among the church neighbors who sold their houses to make way for the new school building and playground. Architectural drawings by Chonuck and Leblond and Associate Architects, of North Vancouver are dated July 1963 and show everything much as it looks today. Father Dermott McInerney was the pastor at St. Andrew’s who was responsible for the construction of the new building. The present school was operational in 1964 and the old school (formerly the parish hall) was demolished to make way for the Intermediate playground.

Pastors who have overseen St. Andrew’s School since it inception were: Fr. Smeets (1947-1961), Fr. Albert Eisenring (1961-1963), Fr. Dermott McInerney (1963-1979), Fr. Victor Gallo (1979-1992), Fr. Ernest Lehner (1992-1997) and Fr. Dominic Ip who has just joined our parish in the summer of 1997. Records of past Principals are not as complete as the lists of pastors. Sr. Mary Elrid was Principal from 1968-1969 while Mr. Jim McKinnion served in that post from 1969-1973. Our former Grade 1 teacher, Mrs. Jacqueline Morin, was Principal of St. Andrew’s from 1973-1976 and she taught Grade 1 as well. Mr. Bill LaPia was Principal from 1976-1985 when Mrs. Ruth Cash took over the position. Mrs. Cash has just returned this fall after a well-deserved sabbatical year during which Mrs. Jane Saunders served as Principal.

In October 1989, fire destroyed St. Andrew’s Church. At the time, plans were already underway for the construction of a gymnasium on 48th Avenue. The decision was made to continue with the building of the gym which served as the Church facility for Sunday Masses and other occasions. Since the gym opened in 1991, St. Andrew’s School has been the envy of other schools in the Archdiocese as the gym has hosted numerous sports events and tournaments.

In 1997, St. Andrew’s School celebrated it’s 50th Anniversary. On January 16, 1997, Archbishop Adam Exner celebrated an Anniversary Mass in the Church that was followed by a reception for present and former teachers and students in the gym. In attendance were Sr. Marie Tremblay CSJ who represented the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto and Sr. Anne Bernier CSJ who taught at the school as Sr. Yvette from 1954-1957. Also attending was B.B. Lieutenant Governor Grade Gardom whose granddaughters Haley MacDonald attended the school. Archbishop Exner blessed a plaque and a tub containing spring bulbs in soil to represent the Jubilee Garden which is located in front of the school entrance. In blessing the school community, Archbishop Exner said: “All achievements are a gift from God. We give thanks to him for 50 years of Catholic education at St. Andrew’s School and we look forward to even greater things in the future.”