They demolished the building but for some reason left these odd remains behind, little hints of what was. Why in the world, when clearing away something so huge, would they fail to complete the job? No matter I guess. Do folks walking by headed to the trains ask, “what stood in this spot?” Here, it’s partial remains of a parking lot, some concrete steps nearby and a few trees that once fronted the building we’ll be chatting about. And that’s it my friends.
We’re at a place with an intimate connection to the person writing this, the site of the original Ernest Manning High School in Southwest Calgary, now an empty field. Your author attended, so did the kids and a sister. Today, BIGDoer’s World Headquarters is close by. I swore the day I left I never wanted to see that damned school again. Ever! Yet, here I am, and have been for the last quarter century, a hop, skip and jump away. Funny how that worked out. And while the name lives on in a new replacement school a couple neighbourhoods over, for all of us alumni who knew “old” Manning, it’s gone.
Ernest Manning HS 1963-2011: with a personal connection. School’s out with Chris Doering & Connie Biggart (BIGDoer/Synd)
In spite of my close proximity, the memories are so far removed in time that admittedly they don’t always register when passing it by. But this fine evening, it all came flooding back. I’m taken back to grade ten, it’s the early eighties and I’m either goofing off, putting a half baked effort forward in class or skipping school entirely. One thing is certain learning was the last thing on the mind. My friend with that old rolling death trap of a car with tail fins used to park right there…other friends who were smokers (so nearly everyone) used to do it on those steps (doing a pointy motion). Wow, almost forty years ago I stood on this very spot.
Scroll down for photos and to comment.
Old Manning dates from 1963. That era didn’t seem to be a high point in architecture, with it looking as much a prison as a school. Picture a long near-featureless blocky mass, lacking character and full-on utilitarian in form. It closed in 2011 on the completion of the new school.
If not for the southwest leg of the LRT, Manning would probably still be standing. While nothing to look at, it was still serviceable and not in bad shape. The rail line, underground here, came through a few years after the school closed. Westbook Station, named after the nearby neighbourhood, straddles the north end of the property. A busy walkway from a nearby street brings many folks past the things examined here.
The rest of the former school grounds are unkempt and in many places a quagmire of mud or a weed infested mess. The city’s looking to have it developed, perhaps waiting till more favourable market conditions. Till then it’s a bit of an eyesore and sometimes homeless camp.
Members of the famous pro-wrestling Hart Family attended school here. You author was in the same grades as Owen, but never crossed paths. He must have been in the non-slacker class. One year as a charity event, they put on a “Stampede Wresting” show in the school auditorium and everyone came. Flooding back, it’s memories of Honky Tonk Wayne, Kerry Brown, the Hart Boys and most memorable of all a giant of a man and mega-heel Mike Shaw (later Mukhan Singh of the Karachi Vice stable). Shaw could cause a near riot with his cheating antics and shit-disturbing ways. No one could work the crowd better.
A bit to the east, and sharing the athletic fields with Ernest Manning, was Melville Scott Junior High (also Plains Indian Cultural Survival School), of which your author also attended. It was torn down a few years before Manning. God, I hated that place too. School never was good fit for yours truly,
Manning was laid out as a square with one long wing. It was two stories, except at the north end where the slope of the land allowed it three. There was a central courtyard to the building which oddly I don’t ever remember visiting. Enrolment in the 1970s and 1980s was some thousand to fifteen hundred I think. By the time the kids attended it was in the high hundreds.
Across the street is a series of low rise apartments. Should a stoner need a bag of weed, this was where it could be found. Convenient! Bootleg liquor for those underage and looking for a good time (so all of us) was also offered.
Ernest Manning’s Football team was the Griffins inspired by that mythical Lion/Eagle beast of old.
Random memories: some guy getting duct-tapped (and I mean head to toe) to a light standard by the front entrance during frosh. The dope smoking art teacher who always vanished soon after assignments were given and the wild clay or paint fights that would break out during his absence. Making throwing stars in welding class and getting visit from the police. Skipping school at Westbrook Mall and being a terror (more cops). Hacking the PA and soon after it’s a visit to the principal’s office. Breaking into the basement and wandering the conduit tunnels there…and getting caught. Similarly finding our way into the “confiscation” room and making off with all kinds of treasures. Fries and gravy at the cafeteria, the teen’s go-to meal and one always shared with friends (even if you didn’t want to).
On a plaque that once stood at school’s entrance…
“Ernest Manning High School was officially opened May 28 1963 by Honourable EC Manning, premier of Alberta.”
Manning was a long time in office, his term stretching from 1943-1968 for the now defunct and once juggernaut Social Credit Party.
Seen off in the distance in the first photo, it’s some relatively new condo towers very near the site of the old Westgate Hotel (16 and they never IDed me). That arch-roof building is the Westbrook LRT Station spoken of earlier. See the bunny?
Reverse view, it’s mostly field and good old 17th Avenue Southwest. Micky D’s was a popular hang out then and is still there. An arcade at the “Colonnade” was always jam packed even with school in and inside it was the din of pinballs and air thick with smoke, not all of it from cigarettes. Seems to me it was a front for drugs too and didn’t last long. There was a second arcade at the far end of the mall but they often kicked us troublemakers out. Can you spot the BIGDoer-mobile?
And the grocery store next door where we lifted what ever wasn’t nailed down, often brazenly in front of other customers. Back then the rap sheet was long. Lock up the silver, that yellow-jacketed BIGDoer guy is coming over!
Your author’s sister attended Manning a couple years before and looking at yearbook photos from then, she did so with the cast of That ’70s Show. The kid’s time there in the early 2000s was pretty uneventful (thank God my ways didn’t become theirs). Seems all four of us over many decades shared a few teachers too.
While the school stood, your author would have been elated to see it demolished. Hated, hated, hated going to class. Then on seeing it actually happen (pictures somewhere) a complete change of heart. Perhaps it wasn’t so bad. Case in point the memories shared here, of a little shithead wanna-be bad ass who did his best to non conform and self destruct, that are kinda funny.
So I stood there for a moment expecting to hear the last bell, but was met with silence. Still not moving and looking as though some weirdo with camera in hand, there I was lost in thought. My time at Manning was short and now with it gone, there a strange tinge of sadness. Like something’s now missing.
They’re saying…
”You are my Atlas Obscura anytime I google something I am looking for, and you guys are there. Plus you have given me a ton of places I want to check out. Thank you!” Lori Boschman.
I went there for grade 10 and part of grade 11. 1968 and 1969. The interior courtyard was the smoking area for students. Jamaica Farewell was the big end of term dance. Westbrook mall was a great place to cut class and cut up.
That was step one. Then he’d berate Ed Whalen and the fans and trash talk any of the face wrestlers, especially if they were a Hart. It worked every time.
That’s where my brother and I both went, and when they were tearing it down, I went over to one of the construction workers to ask if I could have a souvenir and he went through the big pile of bricks and found two perfectly shaped ones for me. I still have mine and so does my brother.
I went to Manning from 67 to 69. Also went to Melville Scott for grade one and two when it was an elementary school. As kids we used to play in the fields we called the frog pond where Manning and the Mall were to be built. Our family home was on 35 street where the Macdonalds is now. Strange to see Manning back to grass—almost full circle. I really enjoyed your pictures.
In my day there was quite the rivalry between Bennett and Manning. They used to spray Rock ‘n’ Roll High School on the side of Manning that was facing 17th Ave!
My old high school, Memorial Comp. in Stony Plain, is gone now too. I was part of one of the last graduating classes in the old building, and deferred maintenance was quite obvious, as the school board had been planning to move out for some time. Notably, the music room was the only place that got much hot or cold air, as it was directly underneath the massive roof-mounted HVAC unit. The rest of the sprawling building was a pale imitation of the outside temperature.
I think some special precautions had to be taken during its demolition, due to the large amounts of asbestos that were used to build it.
I often wonder if Manning had asbestos? I was witness to some of the demolition, what with living and working so close, but don’t recall see any special measures being taken by the demolition crews. Thanks for sharing your memories. So cool!
I remember some of those wrestlers when they used to travel from Calgary to Edmonton & I was a teenager waitress – shocked, surprised & other reactions to them.
We used to do something called the "pointless challenge" 🤪 and miss those days. It was so much silly fun and often frustrating as heck. In these we'd invite people to send in random photos of obscure locations, but not give any information, and then we'd track where it was and shoot something similar.
Most of these came from old family collections, as was the case here. Anyone up to resurrecting the series?
In hindsight, why didn't we pose someone in our shot?
Pointless: “Devoid of meaning (or) senseless” Merriam-Webster.
If you like what we do and want to support this ongoing project (12 years now), go here: https://www.BIGDoer.com/help-the-society/ Thanks to Connie for making this post possible.
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: ca1970 and 2014. Posted by Connie.
Captured on a cold, cold day many years ago. We've been passing this old house for decades and it's little changed in that time. At some point we expect to drive by and it'll be gone.
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: 2017. Posted by Connie.
When retired old railway cars usually get cut up for scrap. Sometimes, however, they find their way into the hands of the general public or whomever. Flat cars make good bridges, and boxcars can be transformed into storage buildings and the like. Case in point here. We see them used like this often enough and in this case, it's part of a corral.
Incidentally, this boxcar dates from 1950 and this was found by tracing the old road number, which is still visible.
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: 2017. Posted by Connie.
This central Alberta racetrack was never a commercial operation but instead just a fun place for car enthusiasts in the area to get together. Early '70s or thereabouts and it only lasted a few years. Even thought it's been abandoned for that long, there is no doubt what was here.
You know we like the the obscure stuff and this one fits the bill perfectly. Found by accident while backroad cruising and the history comes thanks to local car guy Mike.
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: 2022. Posted by Connie.
On top of little Myrtle Mountain in the Kimberley (BC) Nature Park.
There's some good wilderness fun to be had here and nice views as you can see, but the real reason we came is mining history. The whole area near the ski hill was extensively worked over a century ago and we were looking for evidence of this. We didn't find much in the area searched, but it's a big chunk of property and we hope to return to cover more ground again soon. Of all the subjects we cover, mining related is a favourite.
Still, it was a good hike and that can't be bad. Look to the comments for more info 👇.
Exploring nature and history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: 2022. Posted by Connie.
It's a strange curiosity in south Kananaskis, there on a hillside and we have no idea who created it. We asked around and no one's completely sure about its history. In the past it showed the Canada 100 logo from 1967 but in 2017 someone changed it to reflect the country's 150th.
That's our friend Emily from DanOCan.com having a look.
Exploring history with Off the Beaten Path with Chris & Connie. Photo: 2017. Posted by Connie.
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I went there for grade 10 and part of grade 11. 1968 and 1969. The interior courtyard was the smoking area for students. Jamaica Farewell was the big end of term dance. Westbrook mall was a great place to cut class and cut up.
Westbrook was convenient for those of us skipping out and that cafeteria/coffee shop place by the centre entrance was where you’d often find us.
Muka Singh would always show up to interviews wearing an Oilers jersey. That would get the crowd going!
That was step one. Then he’d berate Ed Whalen and the fans and trash talk any of the face wrestlers, especially if they were a Hart. It worked every time.
Spectacular sunset!
Thanks goes out to Mother Nature.
Love the bunny! I remember the school well!
Good eye. Forgot that it was in the photo!
Westgate , Massey, Manning. Grad of 84
Had HS been completed it have been Grad 83 for me.
Wonderful storytelling, Chris!
That’s what we like to hear…awesome!
That’s where my brother and I both went, and when they were tearing it down, I went over to one of the construction workers to ask if I could have a souvenir and he went through the big pile of bricks and found two perfectly shaped ones for me. I still have mine and so does my brother.
Awesome mementos!
My high school – class of ‘69.
A fellow Manning…ite?
Melville Scott Jr. High was next door and is a vacat lot as well.
Yes, good old Scott. Went there too.
Went by the moniker “Dirty Ernie’s”
Never heard that. Hilarious!
I went to Manning from 67 to 69. Also went to Melville Scott for grade one and two when it was an elementary school. As kids we used to play in the fields we called the frog pond where Manning and the Mall were to be built. Our family home was on 35 street where the Macdonalds is now. Strange to see Manning back to grass—almost full circle. I really enjoyed your pictures.
Thanks for sharing these memories! And we’re so pleased you enjoyed the pics.
Went to Melville Scott and Manning many years ago
Same here!
In my day there was quite the rivalry between Bennett and Manning. They used to spray Rock ‘n’ Roll High School on the side of Manning that was facing 17th Ave!
Those no-goods from Bennett!
My old high school, Memorial Comp. in Stony Plain, is gone now too. I was part of one of the last graduating classes in the old building, and deferred maintenance was quite obvious, as the school board had been planning to move out for some time. Notably, the music room was the only place that got much hot or cold air, as it was directly underneath the massive roof-mounted HVAC unit. The rest of the sprawling building was a pale imitation of the outside temperature.
I think some special precautions had to be taken during its demolition, due to the large amounts of asbestos that were used to build it.
I often wonder if Manning had asbestos? I was witness to some of the demolition, what with living and working so close, but don’t recall see any special measures being taken by the demolition crews. Thanks for sharing your memories. So cool!
I remember some of those wrestlers when they used to travel from Calgary to Edmonton & I was a teenager waitress – shocked, surprised & other reactions to them.
Wrestling was big in Calgary back then and the Stampede Wrestling guys local celebs. Cool memories!