“Girls” and “Boys” Lintels Rescued from Condemned School

PHOTO: Thomas Fougere

Riverside School demolition (Jan 29, 2026)

I saw them knocking down the building today. And that the workers say they were able to “salvage” the huge stone lintels engraved “boys” and “girls” entrances (but for all intents and purposes; to some folks in Riverside it was a rescue mission). The century-old Riverside School, built in 1916 as an Edwardian Classical-style landmark occupying a full block at 201 Second Street NW, has been coming down after years of sitting empty and deteriorating. The school closed in 2017 and has been unused and in disrepair, with roof leaks, broken windows, vandalism and mould cited as safety hazards by the developers and city planners.

In late 2025 the Municipal Planning Commission and city council approved a demolition permit to clear the site for a proposed low-density residential subdivision that could include roughly 18 to 20 bungalow-style homes aimed at seniors. The approvals came despite objections from residents who wanted the building preserved or the field turned into a park.

The integrity evaluation of Riverside School shows it was the first brick-built public school north of the South Saskatchewan River and noted its architectural features including separate entries labelled for boys and girls among other heritage elements.

Public reaction online has been mixed. Some residents lament the loss of the familiar structure and its history, posting memories of attending the school and urging alternatives to demolition. Others have mobilized around saving the remaining green space in Riverside or suggested adaptive reuse of the site.

Developer representatives and city officials have said they intend to preserve certain historical pieces, like the lintels they said they salvaged today. No word yet on the time capsules, believed to be embedded in the old school’s cornerstone as part of future development efforts, or buried somewhere on the lawns.