 The school itself is located in the Eric Hamber Secondary catchment area, however students are commonly split up for post secondary education as Van Horne's catchment covers parts of both the Eric Hamber and John Oliver Secondary catchments.Van Horne was built in 1911, and was named after Sir William Cornelius Van Horne, the general manager of the Canadian Pacific Railway.On May 26, 2011, Van Horne celebrated its centennial.