It all Began with an Idea

50 years ago, it all began with an idea. In 1970, a group of forward-thinking, courageous leaders and educators broke ground on a new campus in a remote, rural area just south of Calgary, Alberta. Little did they know that this tiny school with big ideas would go on to become the gold standard of independent private education in Canada — and around the world. The Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School (STS) of today is the result of five decades of vision, hard work, commitment, and love. We celebrate our founding families for bringing that idea to life.

William H. Atkinson 

Founding trailblazer W.H. Atkinson’s incredible dedication to education helped launch a legacy of philanthropy that continues to inspire our entire School community to this day. 

From his earliest years, William H. Atkinson exhibited a passion for learning in all its forms: reading and writing before his fifth birthday, skipping two grades in school, and graduating with honours at the age of sixteen. His strong work ethic and incredible insight led to a highly successful career in Canadian resource development, including a significant role in the development of Home Oil and the Commonwealth Group of Companies. 

With remarkable foresight, and in seeing his own daughter thrive while attending Tweedsmuir: An Academic School for Girls, W.H. Atkinson included two of our founding schools in his estate planning. Following Aktinson’s untimely passing in 1968, Strathcona School for Boys and Tweedsmuir: An Academic School for Girls became the joint recipients of a $250,000 donation – the largest ever made in Calgary at the time – by the W.H. Atkinson estate. This monumental contribution was directed to be in aid of the amalgamation of the Schools, and provided the seed funding for the beautiful campus we now enjoy. 

The Atkinson Society, Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School’s planned giving program, was formed in celebration of this momentous gift as well as the visionary who made our School possible. 

The Cross Family 

Thanks to a timely donation of land and decades of commitment by the Cross family, the STS community has been blessed to call this beautiful campus our home for more than 50 years. 

STS co-founder Donald J.A. Cross graduated from Strathcona School for Boys in 1947. In 1969 he was contacted by his childhood friend, Sandy Heard and his cousin, E. David Dover ’48, for assistance in finding a suitable location for the upcoming school amalgamation. He consulted his father, prominent Alberta rancher and businessman J.B. Cross, who in turn generously agreed to donate a 160-acre plot of land located south of Calgary as the site of the new school. Heard and a group of board members from Tweedsmuir: An Academic School for Girls were invited to tour the property, during which they encountered a pair of grazing bison. This chance encounter with the beauty and majesty of our natural surroundings helped to convince the group that an STS education would provide an experience like no other. 

Donald J.A. Cross later became a founding Director of the STS Foundation, helped facilitate the 1978 building development, and remained a tireless supporter of STS up until his passing in October of 2018, having seen his four children and four grandchildren carry the STS family legacy into the future. 

The Dover Family 

Like the Black Watch tartan worn by our students to this very day, the Dover family’s legacy has been inextricably woven through STS’s history from the very beginning. 

The daughter of businessman and Big Four member A.E. Cross and the granddaughter of eminent NWMP commissioner Lt. Col. J.F. Macleod, Lt. Col Mary J. Dover introduced the Black Watch tartan to Tweedsmuir: An Academic School for Girls shortly after its founding in 1959. This was done in recognition of the Black Watch (Royal Highland) Regiment, who had graciously provided the use of their marching band for a parade held by the Royal Canadian Women’s Army Corps during WWII. Tweedsmuir’s original Dover House was named in her honour; a tradition that STS continues to carry forward. 

Mary’s son, E. David Dover ’48, attended Strathcona School for Boys. David was the primary driving force behind the initial Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School fundraising campaigns in the early 1970s, and served as chair of the Board of Governors from 1972 to 1974 before becoming one of the founding Directors of the STS Foundation. For these and countless other contributions, STS is proud to recognize the Dover family for their decades of service, support, and wise guidance that has helped our School become the iconic institution it is today. 

W.A. ‘Sandy’ Heard ’46 

If you have had the opportunity to experience a particular program or tradition at STS, there is a very good possibility that Sandy Heard ’46 played a role in its creation. From his early years as a student at Strathcona School for Boys, to his courageous and inspiring leadership as the founding Headmaster of STS, Heard truly embodied the very essence of Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School spirit – Nil nisi optimum – Nothing but our best. 

Sandy Heard’s boundless energy and clear vision helped shape STS into the honoured academic institution our students now enjoy. Born in Toronto, Heard first arrived in Calgary at three months of age and attended Strathcona School for Boys from 1938 to 1946, alongside fellow STS co-founders E. David Dover ’48 and Donald J.A. Cross ’47. His tenure as Strathcona School for Boys’ fourth headmaster witnessed an era of astounding growth: from 60 students to 160 in a four-year span, a feat he would quickly surpass with the amalgamation of Strathcona School for Boys and Tweedsmuir: An Academic School for Girls. 

With endless enthusiasm and a steadfast commitment to excellence, Heard shepherded STS through its challenges and set the bar for future generations of educators. During this time he was integral to the introduction of the outdoor education program, Agencies program, and the Parent’s Volunteer Association, now known as POSTS. He retired as Headmaster in 1983, and passed away in October of 2011. From clear vision to proud legacy, Sandy Heard provided the very foundation on which our School is built.