A Short History
The following is an early attempt to summarize the history of Marian High School in Burnaby, BC. We welcome corrections and additions! Please email your comments to Zoya Kanto (Class of 89) at [email protected].
Marian High School was founded in 1965 by the Archdiocese of Vancouver to provide a values-based Catholic education to the families of the Burnaby, New Westminster, Coquitlam, Surrey, White Rock and the surrounding areas. The school opened for the 1965-66 school year with one grade 8 class and one grade 9 class. The first yearbook was so small they had to include the St Michael’s elementary school students.
Run by the Sisters of Charity of St. Louis for 17 years, Marian High provided an education and a second home for an estimated 850 young women who attended between 1967 and 1988.
In 1988, the Archdiocese of Vancouver announced its official decision to close the school, to the great disappointment of many families. Marian students were scattered to the four winds to find their places at other schools and the Marian High campus at 7650 Sapperton Avenue stood empty for years. It is said that the pictures that hung in Marian's school hallways, the signs, statues and other school symbols were defaced and discarded. (We hope some things were saved and we are searching for them!)
But the spirit and memories of Marian High has lingered in many hearts, and many of the young women who came of age in Marian High's halls longed to reconnect. Graduating classes and groups of Marian grads have organized reunions and created Facebook pages (links to any groups we can find are listed on this site).
In 1998, nine years after Marian High was closed, its brother school - the formerly all-boys' St. Thomas More Collegiate - opened its doors to girls and inherited Marian High’s legacy. Today, a great many STMC sisters, mothers and aunts are Marian High alumnae, and the young women who attend St. Thomas More Collegiate could be considered the next generation of Marian High girls.
In 2010, a group of Marian High alumnae from different eras began to discuss formation of an Alumnae Association, which would offer Marian High grads a centralized place to reconnect with each other and their history. At the urging of its own alumni, St. Thomas More Collegiate offered these Marian grads some staff support and a place to meet, and invited them to create a historical display of Marian High memorabilia at STMC.
This web site is one result of that fledgling effort. Another early fruit is the organization of the First Annual Marian High Tea & Garden Party, to be held on Saturday, June 11th in the courtyard at St Thomas More Collegiate.
Input from Marian High grads of all eras is needed to shape the growth and future of the Marian High Alumnae Association. To get involved or just give us your feedback, please contact Patsy Reis-Power at [email protected].
Marian High School was founded in 1965 by the Archdiocese of Vancouver to provide a values-based Catholic education to the families of the Burnaby, New Westminster, Coquitlam, Surrey, White Rock and the surrounding areas. The school opened for the 1965-66 school year with one grade 8 class and one grade 9 class. The first yearbook was so small they had to include the St Michael’s elementary school students.
Run by the Sisters of Charity of St. Louis for 17 years, Marian High provided an education and a second home for an estimated 850 young women who attended between 1967 and 1988.
In 1988, the Archdiocese of Vancouver announced its official decision to close the school, to the great disappointment of many families. Marian students were scattered to the four winds to find their places at other schools and the Marian High campus at 7650 Sapperton Avenue stood empty for years. It is said that the pictures that hung in Marian's school hallways, the signs, statues and other school symbols were defaced and discarded. (We hope some things were saved and we are searching for them!)
But the spirit and memories of Marian High has lingered in many hearts, and many of the young women who came of age in Marian High's halls longed to reconnect. Graduating classes and groups of Marian grads have organized reunions and created Facebook pages (links to any groups we can find are listed on this site).
In 1998, nine years after Marian High was closed, its brother school - the formerly all-boys' St. Thomas More Collegiate - opened its doors to girls and inherited Marian High’s legacy. Today, a great many STMC sisters, mothers and aunts are Marian High alumnae, and the young women who attend St. Thomas More Collegiate could be considered the next generation of Marian High girls.
In 2010, a group of Marian High alumnae from different eras began to discuss formation of an Alumnae Association, which would offer Marian High grads a centralized place to reconnect with each other and their history. At the urging of its own alumni, St. Thomas More Collegiate offered these Marian grads some staff support and a place to meet, and invited them to create a historical display of Marian High memorabilia at STMC.
This web site is one result of that fledgling effort. Another early fruit is the organization of the First Annual Marian High Tea & Garden Party, to be held on Saturday, June 11th in the courtyard at St Thomas More Collegiate.
Input from Marian High grads of all eras is needed to shape the growth and future of the Marian High Alumnae Association. To get involved or just give us your feedback, please contact Patsy Reis-Power at [email protected].