École John Stubbs Memorial School

École John Stubbs Memorial School
Address
301 Zealous Crescent Victoria , British Columbia , V9C 1H6 Canada
Coordinates	48.4366°N 123.4649°W / 48.4366; -123.4649
Information
School type	Public, Elementary School, Middle School
School board	School District 62 Sooke
Principal	Ms. Mellissa Ryan
Vice principals	Ms. Lisa Leclerc (Elementary) Ms. Katrina Abell (Middle)
Grades	K-8
Enrollment	832 (October, 2023-2024)
Language	English, French (Early Immersion & Late Immersion)
Website	johnstubbs.sd62.bc.ca

École John Stubbs Memorial School is a K-8 school located in Belmont Park neighbourhood of Colwood, British Columbia, Canada, part of the Western Communities suburbs of Victoria. The school is part of School District 62 Sooke. The school's population currently stands at approximately 790 students, but is currently experiencing growth year-to-year.

History of the school's name

John Hamilton Stubbs was the lieutenant commander of the Second World War navy destroyer HMCS Athabaskan. (This is not the Canadian academic of the same name.) Ever since he was a boy, he wanted to join the navy. When he was 10 years old, he joined the sea cadets, not knowing that in a few years he would be a Second World War hero.

On April 28, 1944, two enemy German boats attacked Athabaskan and her sister ship HMCS Haida. Approximately 10 minutes after the first hit, Athabaskan was ripped under the water by another torpedo.

The weight of the water pouring into Athabaskan's compartments had now dragged her down to the point where she was almost perpendicular. The last men to leave were sliding down her bow into the chilling water.

When the sailors were in the water, John Stubbs moved about from float to float offering words of encouragement and telling them to move their arms and legs.

Lieutenant-commander Stubbs also told them to sing this navy song: "Roll along, Wavy Navy, roll along Roll along, Wavy Navy, roll along If you must know who we are We're the RCNVR Roll along, Wavy Navy, roll along. Oh we joined for the money and the fun Yes, we joined for the money and the fun But of money there is none And the fun has just begun Roll along, Wavy Navy, roll along."

At one point, John Stubbs drifted to within several feet of the Haida's side and shouted his final command, "Get out of here, Haida! E-boats!" At that point, he might have been rescued quite handily, but he elected to stay with the remainder of his company. Ordering the Haida to safety, Lieutenant-commander John Hamilton Stubbs never thought that they would be defeated so he and his men never gave up.

External links

• École John Stubbs Memorial School