Salmon Arm Elementary School

The Salmon Arm Elementary School is a large two-storey structure with a hipped roof located adjacent to the playing fields at the corner of 5 Avenue SW and Shuswap Street SW in Salmon Arm, British Columbia.

The Salmon Arm Elementary School is valued as a reminder of the growing population and economic stability of Salmon Arm, and for the changes to the building over time that allowed it to accommodate the changing population. The school was built in 1922 by both the City and the District of Salmon Arm because the growing population at the time necessitated the creation of additional elementary school space and high school classrooms. Throughout the 1940s, overcrowding forced classes to be held in temporary quarters as bylaws for new school construction were defeated by the public, likely for monetary reasons. In 1950, the construction of a new junior-senior high allowed the building to become the elementary school. Additions were made to the building, including classrooms, offices, library and gymnasium (1967) and a library annex (c. 1970).

Its original layout and design are typical of school buildings from the early 1920s. Originally consisting of five classrooms and a laboratory, an office, recreation rooms, cloak rooms, and washrooms, the school was considered "one of the finest high schools in the province" in its time. Windows, ventilation, woodwork and electrical fixtures of high quality were included in its construction. Forward thinking officials opted to have the building designed with the main entrance at one end, so an additional wing could be added if necessary. The building is also important for its use of materials: original brick, with less expensive stucco selected for the 1950 addition.

The building has value for its ongoing use as an educational facility throughout the history of Salmon Arm, and for its continued ownership by the public school district (now the North Okanagan-Shuswap School District). In 2003, despite strong protests from parents, students, and educators, Salmon Arm Elementary School closed its doors, and soon afterwards, the building was leased to the Salmon Arm Partners in Community Leadership Association, a registered charity. The building is still owned by the North Okanagan-Shuswap School District and is currently used for community programs.

Salmon Arm Elementary School is also valued for its location near the earliest residential area of Salmon Arm.

Source: City of Salmon Arm, City Hall

Key character-defining elements of the Salmon Arm Elementary School include:

Site:

- Location south of downtown adjacent to an older neighbourhood

- Proximity to adjacent playing and sports fields

Building:

- Horizontal massing and tripartite façade with recessed central portion

- Two-storey brick structure

- Shallow hipped roof

- Horizontal banding and vertical columns

- Gabled entrances

- One-storey library annex addition adjacent to Shuswap Street SE

- Continued use as an educational facility