The Pennarun School District was organized formally during a meeting at Ste. Rose du Lac on 5 June 1915. Subsequently, three schools stood at this site in what is now the Municipality of Ste. Rose. The first Pennarun School, built later in 1915, was destroyed by fire in 1918. Its replacement served the educational needs of the community until 1946 it was sold for $575 and moved to Ste. Rose du Lac and renovated into a private residence. The third school was used until 1963 then sold for $2,000 and used as Ste. Rose du Lac United Church (about N51.06156, W99.51820).
Enrollment varied through the years, from a high of 31 students (in 1943-1944) to a low of 8 (in 1961-1962). Low enrollment caused the school to close in 1963. The remaining students went to Ste. Rose du Lac Consolidated School No. 835. A fieldstone monument at the former site of the school is topped by a metal model. A slot in the side of the monument contains a guest book and a collection of photographs.
Teachers who worked at Pennarun School through the years included: J. A. Leseach (1918-1919), A. Bilodeau (1919-1920), M. J. Leseach (1920-1921), Marie Louise Trottier (1921-1922), Luce Trottier (1922-1924), R. Vanden Houten (1923-1924), Laurette Trottier (1924-1925), Nora Tennant (1925-1929), Yvonne Sicotte (1929-1930), Emilien Chiasson (1929-1930), Hilda Saurette (1930-1931), Marguerite Jutras (1931-1933), Marie-Jeanne Huitric (1933-1934), Marie Pennarun Gamache (1934-1943, 1948-1949, 1962-1963), Marie Irene Nivon (1943-1946), Madeline Pennarun (1946-1947), Elizabeth Maguet (1947-1948), U. J. Bohemier (1947-1948), Aline Callerec (1949-1950), Yolande Rajotte (1950-1951), Edward Debusschere (1951-1952), Lillian Carriere (1952-1953), Marguerite Deschenes (1953-1954), Paul Bisson (1953-1954), Jeanette Boyer (1954-1955), Claire Marchildon (1955-1956), Rita Laramee (1956-1957), Marie Pattyn (1957-1958), Therese Carriere (1958-1959), Odile Bouchard (1959-1960), and Angele Desrosiers (1960-1962).
The second Pennarun School (no date) by H. J. Everall
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs,
GR8461, A0233, C131-3, page 38.
The second Pennarun School (no date)
Source: Pennarun School Monument (June 2023)
Students in front of the second Pennarun School building (1920s)
Source: Pennarun School Monument (May 2012)
The former Pennarun School building, now Ste. Rose du Lac United Church (May 2012)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Pennarun School commemorative monument (May 2012)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Pennarun School commemorative monument (June 2023)
Source: Gordon GoldsboroughSite Coordinates (lat/long): N50.94890, W99.51329
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Ste. Rose du Lac United Church (701 Park Avenue, Ste. Rose du Lac, Municipality of Ste. Rose)
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.
A Study of Public School Buildings in Manitoba by David Butterfield, Historic Resources Branch, Manitoba Department of Culture, Heritage and Tourism, 1994, 230 pages.
We thank Rosemarie Péloquin for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 7 July 2023
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