Canadian School in West China Legacy Project

In 1909, in Chengdu, Sichuan China, a special school was created to educate the children of the many missionaries who were working in the hospitals, schools and churches in Sichuan. Dr. Omar Kilborn’s daughter Constance and her husband Lewis Walmsley, a professor of education, led this Canadian School in West China for 27 years.

In later years, Dr. Kilborn’s grandson Dr. Robert Kilborn sponsored and organized an exchange of medical experts for the West China Hospital, which continues to this day. In 2017 Robert Kilborn expressed to us that he wished to create a legacy in Canada for the Canadian School and its principal, Dr. Walmsley. When Robert passed away in 2018, we became determined to honour his wishes.

Robert envisioned a place, in Ontario, where written materials, photos and artefacts donated by Canadian School alumni could be displayed. Visitors and children could learn about the history of the Canadian School and of the work of missionaries in West China. We found a suitable venue in Prince Edward County where Dr. Walmsley was born.

An important purpose of this Legacy is to help promote understanding and friendship between Canada and China. To accomplish these goals, we want to share knowledge of a Canadian School in China that sent almost 500 of its students to Canada, the United States and around the world as our informal ambassadors and how the Principal of the Canadian School in West China helped make this happen.

We hope to establish a small museum at a Heritage Site that tourists and school children visit regularly. To fulfill this dream, we need approximately $100,000 to create the museum and pay operational costs for 10 years.

Please help us by contributing to the Canadian School in West China Legacy Project. A recognition plaque with donor’s names will be placed on site.