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Principals | Vice-Principals | Teachers | Photos & Coordinates | Sources
The Makinak School District was organized formally in July 1898, operating in Makinak in what is now the Rural Municipality of Lakeshore. Initially, a one-room wood frame school building operated on a site next to the Methodist/Presbyterian Church. In 1918, it was replaced by a two-storey, two-classroom red brick veneer structure erected on a design by Dauphin architect Joseph Henry Bossons. Electricity was installed in the building in 1947 or 1948, and a third classroom was added to its east side in 1955. Running water and flush toilets were added in 1957.
In 1964, the district was consolidated with Carrick School No. 1639 and Woodbend School No. 1886 to form Makinak Consolidated School No. 2428. The school was closed in 1971 and its remaining students went to Dauphin or Ochre River. The building stood vacant until 1980 when it was demolished. Only its concrete foundation remains. A commemorative monument at the site, topped with a metal model of the school, was erected in July 1987.
Period
Principal
1950-1954
Mabel A. Geisel
1954-1955
Herbert Irvine “Herb” Dunn (1924-2019)
1955-1956
Donald Van Duesen
1956-1957
Elizabeth H. Donaldson “Bessie” Maguet (1912-1997)
1957-1958
Thomas Adam “Tom” Kalichak (1927-1973)
1958-1960
William E. Walker
1960-1961
George Wesley Denstedt (1896-1979)
1961-1963
William Steel
1963-1967
James S. McKessock (1911-1983)
1967-1971
Alice Cooper
School Year
Teachers
1954-1955
Mrs. Roberta Anderson, Miss Margaret Leith
1955-1956
Miss Audrey Bothwell, Mrs. Margaret Van Duesen
1956-1957
Miss Audrey Bothwell, Thomas W. Emerson
1957-1958
Miss Audrey Bothwell, Mrs. Mamie McIntyre
1958-1959
Mrs. Mamie McIntyre, Mrs. Bernice Thompson
1959-1960
Mrs. Mamie McIntyre, Mrs. Bernice Thompson
1960-1961
Miss Marjorie Hoy, Mrs. Elizabeth Maguet
1961-1962
?
1962-1963
?
1963-1964
Mrs. Marie R. Gamache, Mrs. Elizabeth Maguet
1964-1965
Miss Marjorie Hoy, Richard Staub
1965-1966
Mrs. Alice Cooper, Mrs. Marjorie Wildeboer
1966-1967
?
1967-1968
?
1968-1969
?
1969-1970
?
1970-1971
Mrs. A. Howatt, Mrs. Marjorie Wildeboer
Some of the other teachers of Makinak School included Mr. H. Belford (1899), Miss Mabel Crowe (1919), Miss Mary Cumming (1919), Audrey Rhind Arnett (1934-1936), John E. Ingot (1938), Marion Smith (1938), H. Andre (1938), W. McFee (1938), and Paul I. Robinson.
The second Makinak School (no date) by E. H. Reid
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs,
GR8461, A0233, C131-2, page 34.
Former Makinak School building prior to demolition (circa 1980)
Source: Henri Gamache
Makinak School commemorative monument with former school foundation in the background (May 2012)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Concrete foundation of the former Makinak School building (May 2012)
Source: Gordon GoldsboroughSite Coordinates (lat/long): N50.98373, W99.66403
denoted by symbol on the map above
“Tender for building,” Manitoba Free Press, 2 March 1918, page 26.
“The local round,” Dauphin Herald, 20 October 1938, page 9.
Annual Reports of the Manitoba Department of Education, Manitoba Legislative Library.
“Teaching staffs named for “A” and “B” groups,” Dauphin Herald and Press, 9 September 1954, page 1.
“Record-breaking enrollments expected here in collegiate, elementary schools,” Dauphin Herald and Press, 1 September 1955, page 1.
“All-time high enrollments expected for town schools,” Dauphin Herald and Press, 30 August 1956, page 1.
“Town schools open today, high enrollments expected,” Dauphin Herald and Press, 29 August 1957, page 1.
“Total of 110 teachers assigned to schools in Dauphin-Ochre area,” Dauphin Herald and Press, 4 September 1958, pages 1, 6.
“Teaching staffs assigned to rural, village schools,” Dauphin Herald and Press, 3 September 1959, page 1.
“26 rural schools start fall term classes Tuesday,” Dauphin Herald and Press, 31 August 1960, page 4.
“Teaching staff for area schools increases to 132 for opening 1963-64 term,” Dauphin Herald and Press, 21 August 1963, page 1.
“All area schools open classes next Tuesday, 131 on teaching staffs,” Dauphin Herald and Press, 26 August 1964, page 1.
“All schools in area open classes Sept. 1 – 133 on teaching staffs,” Dauphin Herald and Press, 25 August 1965, page 1, 8.
Between Mountain and Lake: A History of Ochre River Rural Municipality, 1885-1970 by Ochre River Women’s Institute History Committee, Neepawa: The Neepawa Press, 1970, pages 232, 241, 245-247.
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.
We thank Henri Gamache for providing a photo of Makinak School, and James Arnett and Nathan Kramer for providing additional information.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 20 December 2020
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