The Brennan School District was established in February 1935, named for farmer Alexander Brennan from whom the Elm River Hutterite Colony purchased, the previous year, all of section 20-11-5W in the Rural Municipality of Portage la Prairie. The first school building, a wood frame structure, was soon overcrowded so higher grades were schooled in the nearby church. Later, a combination school and church replaced both buildings. In 1967, the facility became part of the Portage la Prairie School Division and, around 1968, the present school building was constructed. It is still in operation.
Some of the teachers who worked at Brennan School included Erma Bergman, Esther Ross, George Williams, John Enns, Myrle Zimmerman, Bessie Blair, Sarah Smith, Margaret Lesperance, Bentina Erlison, Peggy Alford, Louise Delesky, Mr. Leckie, Rudy Horkie, Jake Horkie, Dorothy Lasser, Rose Disoba, Mr. Clark, Mr. Bias, Miss Peters, Bert Ditpenner, Melrose Brown, Mrs Maloney, George Frith, Gertrude Emery, Leona Philipot, Fay Brown, Pat Moore, Mary Isaac, Mike Tkachuk, Jessie Gates, Dale Christof, Bonny Pirt, Judy Hughes, Pam Stinson, Mike Davies, Rose Froese, Deb McLeod, Dianne Diggle, Alana Walker, Herb Hofer, and Linda Maendel.
The former Brennan School building (no date) by J. H. Plewes
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs,
GR8461, A0233, C131-3, page 125.Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.94028, W98.10380
denoted by symbol on the map above
One Hundred Years in the History of the Rural Schools of Manitoba: Their Formation, Reorganization and Dissolution (1871-1971) by Mary B. Perfect, MEd thesis, University of Manitoba, April 1978.
Rural Schools of Portage la Prairie School Division #24 by Muriel Wright, 1996.
We thank Nathan Kramer for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 26 March 2021
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