The Crane Bay School District was established formally in January 1920. At the time of its formation, strong consideration was given to calling it the John Moar School District named after local farmer John Moar (1857-1936) who lived at 30-29-13W. Temporary and rented quarters were used into the mid-1920s until, by 1926, residents sought to construct a log schoolhouse measuring 18 feet by 24 feet by 11 feet. It operated at SW31-29-1W near Crane River in what was formerly the Rural Municipality of Lawrence (now the Rural Municipality of Lakeshore).
Over the three decades it operated, smaller parcels of land were removed from the district and its assessment base eroded accordingly. By the late 1940s, the district’s assessment was insufficient to support and maintain a school and, when faced with an urgent need for a new building, the decision was made in September 1949 to dissolved the district.
Among the teachers of Crane Bay School were Noemi Louise Beasse (Fall 1942 - Spring 1943), Charles Henri Delorme (September 1943 - March 1944), Edmee Labossier (June - July 1944), and Joseph E. Morreau (Fall 1944 - Spring 1945).
Crane Bay School (no date) by H. J. Everall
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs,
A 0233, GR8461, C131-3, page 19.Site Coordinates (lat/long): N51.52376, W99.28117
denoted by symbol on the map above
Death registrations [John Moar], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
1921 Canada census, Library and Archives Canada.
School District Formation Files (E 0027), McMaster School District No. 1864, GR1688, Archives of Manitoba.
Departmentally appointed school trustee files (E 0034), Crane Bay School District No. 2022 - Daily Registers, GR1629, Archives of Manitoba.
Departmentally appointed school trustee files (E 0034), Lawrence Municipality, Wieden School School District #1604 - Census Records, GR1629, Archives of Manitoba.
Trustee records regarding geographically remote schools directly administered by Department (E 0166), File 2022 - Crane Bay, GR1206, Archives of Manitoba.
School division half-yearly attendance reports (E 0757), Archives of Manitoba.
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.
Geographic Names of Manitoba, Manitoba Conservation, 2000.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 16 January 2022
Historic Sites of Manitoba
This is a collection of historic sites in Manitoba compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. The information is offered for historical interest only.
Browse lists of:
Museums/Archives | Buildings | Monuments | Cemeteries | Locations | OtherInclusion in this collection does not confer special status or protection. Official heritage designation may only come from municipal, provincial, or federal governments. Some sites are on private property and permission to visit must be secured from the owner.
Site information is provided by the Manitoba Historical Society as a free public service only for non-commercial purposes.
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the MHS Webmaster at webmaster@mhs.mb.ca.Help us keep history alive!
