Sir Richard McBride leading crowd in cheer after driving in the last spike of the B.C. Electric Railway's Fraser Valley line to Chilliwack, B.C. -- ca. 3 Oct. 1910

Take a walk down 31st Avenue and you’ll come across our two local elementary schools both named for Sir Richard McBride, the 15th premier of British Columbia (1903-1915). At age 33, Sir Richard McBride was the first of British Columbia’s premiers to be born in the province and the only one to have ever been knighted.

Sir Richard McBride Elementary School (29th Avenue and Culloden St.) is a public elementary school, part of School District 39 Vancouver. It was founded in 1911 and recently celebrated its Centennial year. The school’s symbol is an eagle and its colours are white, blue, and yellow. The school was built on a hilly slope nearby a nursery and orchard known as Henry’s Farm. Just one block over, Henry Street still holds its name from that old farm. Sir Richard McBride Annex was built in 1964 and is a modest single story building, just off of scenic Gray’s Park. It is the primary annex to the McBride main school. Both schools are widely considered to be cornerstones of the Mountain View community.

Many children have trudged to school in those early days, through thick swampy mud, over cattle fields and vegetable gardens. Today, I’m sure you’ll find many alumni that remember both schools with fond memories