Historic Sites of Manitoba: Midwinter School No. 1891 / Midwinter Community Museum (East Braintree, RM of Reynolds)

The Midwinter School District was organized formally in June 1917 and a school building was erected on property donated by Charles Midwinter, on the southeast quarter of 4-8-14 east of the Principal Meridian, in what would later become the Rural Municipality of Reynolds. The school closed in June 1968 and the building was purchased by the communities of Glenn, McMunn, and East Braintree.

The teachers of Midwinter School were Mrs. Gertrude Robinson (1917-1919), E. Jenkins (1920), Albert Ball (1921), H. Carter (1922-1923), Mrs. A. M. Sanford (1924), Mrs. Burge (1925-1927, mother of Lila Burge), Mrs. Opal Cheater (1928-1929), Mr. D. J. Reese (1930-1932), Bill Tomilla (1933-1935), Mrs. Gertrude Macrae (1936), Geoffrey Greatorex (1937-1938), Miss Anne Harris (1939), Mrs. Andrews (1940), Charles Koester (1940-1941), Miss Laura Glazer (1941), Alvin Campbell (1941-1943), Gerald Marsh (1944), Miss Clara Wass (1944-1945), Theodore Koke (1945), Miss Mildred Loewen (1946), Miss Kathryn Kosterewa (1947-1951), Mrs. Myrtle Monday (1951), Leroy McDougal (1952), Theodore Wolfe (1953-1956), Barney Dram (1957), Mrs. Inez Roberts (1958-1961), Peter Thiessen (1961-1963), Joseph Lavergne (1964-1965), Miss Shirley Bencharski (1965), and Steve Cesmystruk (1966-1968).

The building, now a community museum, became a municipally-designated historic site in 1990. The museum is open each July and August, on Saturdays between 2 and 4 PM, and Sundays between 1 and 5 PM. Appointments at other times, year-round, may be arranged by calling 204-426-5510 or 204-426-5282. Donations are gratefully accepted.

Midwinter School (no date) by R. Goulet Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs, GR8461, A0233, C131-3, page 51. Midwinter School Teacherage (no date) by R. Goulet Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs, GR8461, A0233, C131-3, page 51. The former Midwinter School building, now a community museum (September 2013) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Interior of the Midwinter Community Museum (July 2019) Source: Rose Kuzina Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.62321, W95.62375 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Memorable Manitobans: Charles Midwinter (1851-1939)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Municipally Designated Historic Sites

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Midwinter Park (Stadacona Street, Winnipeg)

Sources:

McMunn, East Braintree, Glenn: Pioneer History, 1913-1989, pages 148-158.

Midwinter School, SW 4-8-14 EPM, East Braintree, Manitoba Historic Resources Branch.

We thank Rose Kuzina for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 15 September 2019

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