Historic Sites of Manitoba: Geysir School No. 776 (Municipality of Bifrost-Riverton)

The Geysir School District was formally organized in April 1894. Classes had begun prior to establishment of the district, as early as Fall 1889, in a school building made of rough-sawn poplar logs at SW27-22-3E in what is now the Municipality of Bifrost-Riverton. This building was abandoned in 1899 in favour of a new building at SW22-22-3E, a 1½-storey wood frame structure, with classrooms on the main and upper floors. Two teachers were employed until other school districts were formed in the vicinity: Laufas School No. 1211, Island School No. 2105, Bjarmi School No. 1461, and Ardal School No. 1292.

In addition to serving the educational needs of the community, the building was also used as a church, Sunday School, concert hall, and meeting place. In 1949, it was replaced by a new building and served until January 1966 when it was consolidated with Arborg Consolidated School No. 2441.

Among the teachers who worked at Geysir School were Ellen Borgfjord (1964-1965) and Donald Bjornson.

Geysir School

Geysir School (no date) by H. D. Cumming
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs,
GR8461, A0233, C131-1, page 124.

Geysir School commemorative sign

Geysir School commemorative sign (September 2010)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough

Site Coordinates (lat/long): N50.90537, W97.10143
denoted by symbol on the map above

Sources:

A History of Education in the Evergreen School Division by John C. Gottfried, MA thesis, University of Manitoba, 1965.

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.

Obituary [Donald Bjornson], Winnipeg Free Press, 28 January 2023.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 28 January 2023

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