Western Canada High School (WCHS) is a public senior
high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
in
Calgary
Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...
,
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. It has classes for grades 10 through 12. Western is located in the 17th Avenue business district of the Lower
Mount Royal
Mount Royal (french: link=no, Mont Royal, ) is a large intrusive rock hill or small mountain in the city of Montreal, immediately west of Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The best-known hypothesis for the origin of the name Montreal is the hi ...
community, and is the most centrally located public high school in Calgary. In terms of academics, it is the top-ranked public high school in Calgary.
History
The original school building was completed in 1903 as an Egyptian-style exclusive high school for boys called Western Canada College (not a college in the North American sense of the word). It was created by "''The Western Canada College Bill of Incorporating Ordinance''" enacted by the Government of the
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...
, which Calgary was then a part of before the province of
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
was created in 1905. To raise money for the new college, 5000 shares were sold for $10 each. Many of the original investors read like a "Who's Who" list for Alberta;
Pat Burns
Patrick John Joseph Burns (April 4, 1952 – November 19, 2010) was a National Hockey League head coach. Over 14 seasons between 1988 and 2004, he coached in 1,019 games with the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, and New Jer ...
premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
at the time), and George Lane.
A granite shaft bearing a
Cross of Sacrifice
The Cross of Sacrifice is a Commonwealth war memorial designed in 1918 by Sir Reginald Blomfield for the Imperial War Graves Commission (now the Commonwealth War Graves Commission). It is present in Commonwealth war cemeteries containing 40 or ...
was dedicated as a list of honor memorial to Western Canada College students who were killed during the First World War and who served during the Second World War, the Korean War and as peacekeepers.
English language
English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the is ...
as a primary language instruction. In addition, it is one of a select number of schools in Calgary to offer
French immersion
French immersion is a form of bilingual education in which students who do not speak French as a first language will receive instruction in French. In most French-immersion schools, students will learn to speak French and learn most subjects s ...
. Western is one of a small number of Calgary high schools to offer an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme. The school also offers an extensive performing and visual arts program, and offers a certificate to recognize students that have made fine arts a focus of learning at the high school level. The school is part of the Action for Bright Children Society.
Athletics
The Western Redhawks compete under the governance of the
Alberta Schools Athletic Association
The Alberta Schools' Athletic Association (ASAA) is the governing body that oversees amateur athletics in schools for the province of Alberta. It is a voluntary, non profit organization that has 373 member high schools. It enforces policies as d ...
and Calgary Senior High School Athletic Association
The school boasts teams in the following sports:
* Badminton
* Ping Pong
* Basketball
* Cheerleading
* Cross Country
* Formula 1
* Field Hockey
* Football
* Underwater Hockey
* Rugby
* Soccer
* Swim and Dive
* Track and Field
* Ultimate Frisbee
* Slapboxing
* Slamball
* Volleyball
* Wrestling
* Dance
Notable alumni
*
Ron Allbright
Ronald Philip Allbright (September 28, 1934 – July 9, 2016) was a player in the Canadian Football League for the Calgary Stampeders from 1956 to 1967. He primarily played at the offensive guard and offensive tackle positions, although he also p ...
– CFL player 1956–1967
*
Conrad Bain
Conrad Stafford Bain (February 4, 1923 – January 14, 2013) was a Canadian-American comedian and actor. His television credits include a leading role as Phillip Drummond in the sitcom ''Diff'rent Strokes'', as Dr. Arthur Harmon on '' Maude'', ...
– actor
*
Ryan Belleville
Ryan Belleville (born May 8, 1979) is a Canadian stand-up comedian and actor.
Career
Belleville became the youngest person to tape his own ''Comedy Now!'' special for CTV. He also appeared in CBC's ''The Sean Cullen Show'' and the film '' Goin ...
– actor, writer
*
Barney Bentall
Barnard Franklin "Barney" Bentall (born March 14, 1956) is a Canadian pop/rock singer-songwriter who is most well known for his 1990s-era band, Barney Bentall and the Legendary Hearts. Their most successful Canadian singles included "Something ...
– singer/songwriter
*
Braids
A braid (also referred to as a plait) is a complex structure or pattern formed by interlacing two or more strands of flexible material such as textile yarns, wire, or hair.
The simplest and most common version is a flat, solid, three-strande ...
– art rock band
*
Karen Connelly
Karen Marie Connelly (born 12 March 1969) is a Canadian travel writer, novelist and poet who has written extensively about her experiences living in Greece, Thailand and Canada.
Life and work
Connelly was born in Calgary, Alberta. At seventeen, ...
– novelist and poet
*
Jim Dinning
James Francis Dinning (born December 4, 1952) is a Canadian Progressive Conservative politician and businessman. He was a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta (1986–1997), and now serves on the board of directors of a variety of Canad ...
– Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta 1986–1997
* Reid Duke – first hockey player signed by the Vegas Golden Knights
*
Emerson Frostad
Emerson Andrew Frostad (born January 13, 1983) is a Canadian former baseball catcher. Frostad participated in the 2008 Olympics, as a member of Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories exte ...
– baseball player
* George Hansen – CFL player 1959–1966
*
Dan Hays
Daniel Phillip Hays (April 24, 1939) is a Canadian politician born in Calgary, Alberta. He was Speaker of the Senate of Canada from 2001 to 2006, when he became Leader of the Government (Liberal) in the Senate. Hays was the Leader of the ...
– Senator 1984–2007
*
Norman Kwong
Norman Lim Kwong (born Kwong Lim Yew; ; October 24, 1929 – September 3, 2016) was a Canadian football player who played for the Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was also an active businessman ...
– CFL player 1948–1960; Lieutenant Governor of Alberta 2005–2010
* Jack Leslie – Mayor of Calgary 1965–1969
*
Jan Lisiecki
Jan Lisiecki (; born March 23, 1995) is a Canadian-born classical pianist of Polish ancestry. Lisiecki performs over a hundred concerts annually and has worked closely with the world's leading orchestras and conductors, his career at the top of ...
Tate McRae
Tate Rosner McRae (; born July 1, 2003) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, dancer and actress. At the age of thirteen, she gained prominence as the first Canadian finalist on the American reality TV show ''So You Think You Can Dance''. McRae cau ...
– dancer and singer (born 2003)
*
Josh Morrissey
Joshua Morrissey (born March 28, 1995) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and alternate captain for the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Jets in the first round, 13th overall, of the 2013 NHL ...
– defenceman, Winnipeg Jets
* Carl Nickle – founder of the ''Daily Oil Bulletin''; Member of Parliament 1951–1957
*
Mark Oldershaw
Mark Oldershaw (born February 7, 1983) is a Canadian sprint canoeist. Oldershaw won the bronze medal in the C-1 1000 m at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He is a third generation Canadian Olympic canoer, fifth family member to compete a ...
– athlete and businessman
*
Larry Robinson
Larry Clark Robinson (born June 2, 1951) is a Canadian former ice hockey coach, executive and player. His coaching career includes head coaching positions with the New Jersey Devils (which he held on two occasions), as well as the Los Angeles Ki ...
– CFL player 1961–1975
*
Lorna Slater
Lorna Slater (born 27 September 1975) is a Canadian-born Scottish politician who has served as Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity since 2021. She has served as co-leader of the Scottish Greens alongside Patrick Harvi ...
- Scottish politician
*
Kinnie Starr
Alida Kinnie Starr (born 1970) is a Canadian multidisciplinary recording artist.
Early life
Starr was born and raised in Calgary, where she attended Western Canada High School. Her ancestry is French, German, Irish and indigenous, specifically ...
– singer/songwriter
*
David Swann
David Richard Swann (born June 19, 1949) is a Canadian medical doctor and politician. He was the leader of the Alberta Liberal Party and Leader of the Opposition in the Alberta Legislature from December 2008 until resigning as party leader in ...
– politician, father of Jacob Swan
*
Taryn Swiatek
Taryn Swiatek (born February 4, 1981 in Calgary, Alberta"Swiatek sets sights on China" ''Calgary Sun'', ''
Canadian Online Explorer
Canoe.com is an English-language Canadian portal site and website network, and is a subsidiary of Postmedia Network. The phrase Canadian Online Explorer appears in the header; the name is also evidently a play on words on canoe (or ''canoë'' in ...