The Olha School District (originally known as Boleslaw School District) was established formally in February 1902 in what is now the Municipality of Rossburn, and a one-room schoolhouse operated from 1907 to 1930 on NW34-19-23W and from 1930 to 1964 at this site on SW2-20-23W. When the school closed, the remaining students went to Oakburn Consolidated School No. 255.
The teachers of Olha School included Mr. Saranchuk, Wasyl Kohut, Steve Lytwyn, Paul Semotiuk (1912-1913), Michael Nowosad (1913, 1916), John Ciupak (1913-1914, 1915-1916, 1919), Jacob Maydanyk (1916), Mr. A. A. Lechowicz [Lachowich] (1917), Olga Perch (1918), Eugene Kozlowsky (1919-1920), Nicholas M. Podworny [Podwarny] (1920-1921), J. H. Basarabowicz (1921), Peter Mitenko (1922-1923), M. Saranchuk (1924-1925), Mary Perch (1925-1927), Mary Melnychuk (1927-1928), Nellie Maydaniuk (1928-1931), Irene Helen Gayowsky (1931-1932), Helen Josephine Teresko Antonation (1932-1934, 1944-1947), Jean Emily “Jennie” Teresko (1934-1935), John Joseph Nowosad (1935-1937), Lena Hnatiuk (1937-1939), Walter Nowosad (1939-1941), Marie Janet Hawryluk Haluschak (1941-1942), William Walter Puyda (1942-1943), Agnes G. Kalinuk [Kalyniak] (1943-1944), Anne Wuschenny (1947-1948), Anne Sydor (1948-1949), Violet P. Popowich (1949-1950), Michael “Mike” Zosiuk (1950-1951), Elsie Alexandria Manulak (1951-1952), Margaret Anne Izzard (1952-1953), Margaret Josephine Woychyshyn Peech (1953-1955), Mary Bernice Budz (1955-1957), Phyllis Jean Kowal (1957-1959), Anne A. Prosyk (1959-1960), William Kozak, Mathew Metenko, Mrs. Braschuk, and Jack Haluschak.
The school building was later purchased by former teachers John and Rose Baydock and moved to a site on the north side of Seech Lake. It was later moved to the Prairie Mountain Regional Museum. A commemorative monument and model remain at the original site.
Olha School (no date) by J. B. Morrison
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs,
GR8461, A0233, C131-2, page 84.
Former Olha School with the former Seech School in the background (1980s)
Source: Historic Resources Branch, Public School Buildings Inventory, slide 973.
Former Olha School building at the Prairie Mountain Regional Museum (June 2012)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Former Olha School building at the Prairie Mountain Regional Museum (July 2021)
Source: George Penner
Olha School commemorative monument (June 2012)
Source: Gordon GoldsboroughSite Coordinates (lat/long): N50.68323, W100.57011
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.
On the Sunny Slopes of the Riding Mountains, A History of Rossburn and District, Volume 1 by Rossburn History Club, 1984. [Manitoba Legislative Library, F5648.R78 Ont]
A Study of Public School Buildings in Manitoba by David Butterfield, Historic Resources Branch, Manitoba Department of Culture, Heritage and Tourism, 1994, 230 pages.
Manitoba School Records Collection, Olha School District No. 1243 Daily Registers, GR2061, Archives of Manitoba.
We thank George Penner and Alice Keewatin for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 31 October 2024
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