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Students at lord Byng elementary school celebrated its 100th birthday last week with activities including an assembly and sports day.

Photo courtesy Helen Sipsas

Lord Byng elementary is turning 100 this year.

Photo by Hannah Scott

One hundred years of school history for Byng

By Hannah Scott

Published 5:27 PDT, Tue June 7, 2022

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Byng elementary is celebrating a big birthday this year—the school is turning 100.

In fact, the property’s use as a school dates back to 1897 when the first one-room school—named Steveston School—was built near the corner of No. 1 Road and Georgia Street, explains Byng teacher Helen Sipsas, who has taught at the school since 1990.

It was renamed Lord Byng Elementary School in 1922, after former Governor General Julian Byng. The following year, the school began allowing Japanese, Chinese, and First Nations students to attend.

“We are the first school that I know of in Richmond, maybe in the Lower Mainland, that accepted students of a variety of different cultures,” says Sipsas.

The school site has gone through numerous changes and additions, including a new building constructed in 1930 with financial support from the local Japanese community and other community members. In the 1940s, children attended school in shifts after a fire damaged the building. The current school was built in 1995.

“The most popular building was called the ‘little building,’ says Sipsas. “I was one of the last teachers to teach in that building in 1993.”

Despite a battle to save the “little building,” it was eventually demolished. But there are still trees that have grown on the site since the school’s inception 100 years ago.

“For me it’s really important to look at history—learning about the school’s history gives us a connection to place,” says Sipsas. “We reflect on history, create memories, connect with culture, and establish identity.”

Given its long history, some families have three generations that attended Byng. And while Sipsas says the current building is still in good shape, she’s not sure it will keep the same name given the provincewide discussion.

“This year, tying into the 100 year (celebration), we wanted to focus on women who were prominent figures in our school’s history,” says Sipsas.

One of those women is former school principal June Chiba, who died suddenly in 1991. Each year, one Byng student is given a humanitarian award in her name.

“She was quite a unique educator—she really put the child first, and I was lucky to have met her,” says Sipsas.

Sipsas is also teaching her grade 1 and 2 students about former teacher Hide Hyodo Shimizu, whose namesake rock garden opened on the school grounds in 1996. Shimizu was one of the first Japanese teachers, hired at age 18.

Talking to youngsters about 100 years of history is challenging, but Sipsas tries to relate things back to situations that today’s students can imagine. When they discussed the internment of Japanese Canadians, her students were able to understand the sadness of arriving at school one day to find half their class was gone.

“We wonder what games they played 50 years ago at recess instead of games we play now,” she says. “How did friends communicate 75 years ago, how do you communicate with friends today, what hasn’t changed and is the same?”

A display case by the school’s library showcases its progression from the 1920s to today, demonstrating all the changes over the years. A week-long celebration kicked off last Monday (May 30) with an assembly and the unveiling of a new school banner, and culminated with Byng’s first sports day in two years.

Canadian Tire, which is also celebrating its 100th birthday this year, donated celebratory balloons for the assembly thanks to its No. 3 Road store.

And after several years of pandemic-related changes in schools, including the lack of assemblies and group lunches, Sipsas says it’s been a good opportunity to connect and celebrate the centenary.

“We need some good stuff after COVID, we need something to celebrate and something that brings us together,” she adds.