Accession N-2006-015 - Ed Jeske collection

On September 29, 1958 the Yellowknife Vocational Training and High School (also known as the Yellowknife Composite High School) was officially opened. In was operated under the auspices of the federal Department of Native Affairs and National Resources, which was responsible for education in the Northwest Territories. The school's first principal was Jack Black and the first Vice Principal was Dave Wattie. There were approximately 200 students in attendance, Dene and Inuit students from communities across the Northwest Territories, as well as local Yellowknife students. The school offered three basic programs: Matriculation, Vocational and Opportunity (or upgrading) classes. Due to public dissatisfaction regarding the school's unwieldy name, a contest was held in 1959 to select a new name for the school and 'Sir John Franklin High School' was the winning entry. With the transfer of responsibility for education to the Government of the Northwest Territories in 1967, the name was amended to Sir John Franklin Territorial High School, although this addition has since been dropped. The school underwent a large renovation and upgrade in 2000, marked by a grand opening celebration on November 9th of that year.