Link to:
Principals | Vice-Principals | Teachers | Photos & Coordinates | Sources
The St. Francois de Sales School District was organized formally in May 1898 and a two-room schoolhouse operated on River Lot 49 in the Rural Municipality of Ritchot, on the west side of the Red River. Destroyed by fire in 1939, a new two-classroom building with laboratory was constructed and renamed Queen Elizabeth School (for the monarch who had visited Canada earlier that year). Damaged by a flood in early 1950, a new foundation was constructed a few feet to the west and the building was moved onto it. Destroyed by fire on 22 February 1955, elementary students attended classes in the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church while senior students went to the St. Norbert Boys’ School. A new building with two classrooms and a laboratory opened in the fall of 1955.
The district was dissolved in April 1967 and its catchment area became part of the Seine River School Division. The school closed permanently in June 1967. The former schoolhouse was sold and became the St. Joseph’s Social Club. Badly damaged by a flood in early 1997, the building was burned as a training exercise for local firefighters and replaced by the present structure at the site, now known as the Howden Community Centre.
Period
Principal
1909-1911
Theo. N. Petryshyn (1885-?)
1912-1921
none
1922
Nicholas M. Halas
1922-1923
S. E. Radomsky
1923-1939
?
1939-1942
Margaret Gorawski
1942-1953
?
1953-1954
Laura May Cooke Gall (1912-2004)
1954-1956
Michael P. Lysack (?-1989)
1956-1957
Nicholas “Nick” Andrusko (1900-1983)
1957-1958
Ole Bejyzk
1958-1960
Frank Mikolayenko (c1919-2001)
Among the early teachers of St. Francois de Sales School were Maria Laporte (Spring 1898 - Spring 1899), Charles Castel (Fall 1899), Gilbert A. Leroux (Spring 1900), G. Philaes Cloutier (Fall 1900 - Fall 1901), records not available (Spring 1902 - Fall 1904), Antoinette Lamoureux (Spring 1905 - Spring 1906), and Corinne Gagnon (Fall 1906).
Later, again under single-teacher operation included Stephen B. Wolanczyk (Spring 1913), M. Mihajczuk (pt Fall 1913), M. P. Ostapowicz (pt Fall 1913 - Spring 1915), William M. Cahute (Fall 1915 - Spring 1917), Anthony F. Hachkiewich [Hahkiewick?] (Fall 1917 - Spring 1919), Nicholas M. Halas (Fall 1919 - Spring 1920), and Stephen Krawczyk (Fall 1920 - Spring 1921).
School Year
Teachers
1907
Corinne Gagnon, Theo. N. Petryshyn
1908
A. F. Caron (Fall), Corinne Gagnon (Spring), Basil Kudryk (Fall), Theo. N. Petryshyn (Spring)
1909
A. F. Caron, Basil Kudryk (Spring), Theo. N. Petryshyn (Fall)
1910
Caroline Courchene, Theo. N. Petryshyn
1911
Antoinia Gregoire (junior grades, Spring), Theo. N. Petryshyn (senior grades, Spring; all grades, Fall)
1912
Theo. N. Petryshyn (all grades, Spring), Did not operate (Fall 1912)
1913-1921
(See above)
1921-1922
Nicholas M. Halas (grades 1-6, Fall; grades 3-7, Spring), Marie Carmelie Armandine Desautels Laflamme (grades 1-3, Spring)
1922-1923
Olga Perch (grades 1-3, Fall; grades 1-2, Spring), S. E. Radomsky (grades 4-8, Fall; grades 3-8, Spring)
1923-1924
?
1924-1925
?
1925-1926
?
1926-1927
?
1927-1928
?
1928-1929
?
1929-1930
?
1930-1931
?
1931-1932
Michael John Kozier, ?
1932-1933
Michael John Kozier, ?
1933-1934
?
1934-1935
?
1935-1936
?
1936-1937
?
1937-1938
?
1938-1939
?
1939-1940
Margaret Gorawski (grades 6-9), Frances Lasko (grades 1-5)
1940-1941
Alexandra “Alice” Krett (grades 1-5), Margaret Gorawski (grades 6-10)
1941-1942
Frances Andrusko (grades 1-5), Margaret Gorawski (grades 6-10)
1942-1943
Miss Alsip (grades 1-8)
1943-1944
Michael William “Mike” Tataryn (grades 1-9, Fall & substitute, pt Spring), Mr. Armin Sawatzky (grades 1-9, pt Spring)
1944-1945
Miss Elizabeth Olivier (grades 1-8)
1945-1946
Miss Annette Dorge (grades 1-8)
1946-1947
Miss Annette Dorge (grades 1-8)
1947-1948
Mrs. Bella Bruce (grades 1-8)
1948-1949
Miss Jean Markowski (grades 1-8)
1949-1950
Miss Jean Markowski (grades 1-8)
1950-1951
Miss Jean Markowski (grades 1-8)
1951-1952
Miss Jean Markowski (grades 1-8)
1952-1953
Miss Jean Markowski (grades 1-8)
1953-1954
Laura May Cooke Gall (grades 7-10), Jean Markowski (grades 1-6)
1954-1955
Thelma Emma Doan (grades 1-6), Michael P. Lysack (grades 7-11)
1955-1956
Michael P. Lysack (grades 7-11), Mrs. Kay Snatenchuk (grades 1-6)
1956-1957
Nick Andrusko (grades 7-11), Mrs. Kay Snatenchuk (grades 1-6)
1957-1958
Ole Bejyzk (grades 9-11), Miss E. V. Masiowski (grades 1-8)
1958-1959
Miss E. V. Masiowski (grades 1-8), Frank Mikolayenko (grades 9-11)
1959-1960
Miss E. V. Masiowski (grades 1-8), Frank Mikolayenko (grades 9-11)
1960-1961
Alvin Matskiw (grades 1-7)
1961-1962
Alvin Matskiw (grades 1-7)
1962-1963
Mrs. Dora Zacharias (grades 1-8)
1963-1964
Miss Diane Gottfried (grades 1-8)
1964-1965
Lionel H. Sussman (grades 1-7)
1965-1966
Lionel H. Sussman (grades 1-7)
1966-1967
Lionel H. Sussman (grades 1-7)
St. Francois de Sales School (circa 1935) by A. A. Herriot
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs,
GR8461, A0233, C131-2, page 33.Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.71809, W97.12805
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Tache School / Queen Elizabeth School (Kenny Street, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Queen Elizabeth School / Henri Bergeron School (363 Enfield Crescent, Winnipeg)
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.
Coming Together: A History of Howden, unpublished manuscript by Rob Stewart and Howden History Steering Committee, 2019.
Board of Education registers (A 0050), GR7643, Archives of Manitoba.
Summative half-yearly returns for school districts (A 0051), GR0571, Archives of Manitoba.
Board of Education meeting minutes and office files (A 0052), GR1622, Archives of Manitoba.
School division half-yearly attendance reports (E 0757), Archives of Manitoba.
We thank Ken Kozier for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Ken Niziol, Rob Stewart, Nathan Kramer, and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 21 November 2023
Historic Sites of Manitoba
This is a collection of historic sites in Manitoba compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. The information is offered for historical interest only.
Browse lists of:
Museums/Archives | Buildings | Monuments | Cemeteries | Locations | OtherInclusion in this collection does not confer special status or protection. Official heritage designation may only come from municipal, provincial, or federal governments. Some sites are on private property and permission to visit must be secured from the owner.
Site information is provided by the Manitoba Historical Society as a free public service only for non-commercial purposes.
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the MHS Webmaster at webmaster@mhs.mb.ca.Help us keep history alive!
