Historic Sites of Manitoba: Sifton School No. 1009 (Sifton, RM of Dauphin)

Link to:
Principals | Vice-Principals | Teachers | Photos & Coordinates | Sources

The Sifton School District was organized formally in May 1899 and a building was erected in Sifton, in the Rural Municipality of Dauphin. It was replaced by a two-storey, five-classroom brick and stucco structure built between 1948 and 1949. Through the 1960s, as rural schools from the surrounding area closed, their students came here. These included Trembowla School No. 1040, Oukraina School No. 1112, Fishing River School No. 1153, Mink River School No. 1154, Podolia School No. 1157, West Bay School No. 1223, Wycliffe School No. 1564, and Norton School No. 2094. The building was later closed and demolished. The site is now a public playground.

Principals

Period	Principal
1920-1921	Frederick Ladlay “Fred” Bousfield (1865-1957)
1921-1922	?
1922-1923	George Isaac Herman Garrett (1884-1977)
1923-1924	Wilfred Almon Rideout (1878-1949)
1924-1925	William M. Stewart
1925-1928	Harry L. Stein
1928-1931	Gerald Leopold Kramer (1908-1977)
1931-1932	Helen B. Hawryluk
1932-1937	James N. Stanko
1937-1939	Joseph Kahana (1900-1993)
1939-1956	James N. Stanko
1956-1957	William Nowosad (1931-2001)
1957-1959	Isadore A. Woronchuk
1959-1961	Omelan Kalichinsky
1961-1963	?
1963-1965	Nestor Weselowski
1965-1967	?
1967-1974	Mary Rosalia Prokopowich (1916-2003)
1974-1978	?
1978-1981	Robert Smith
1981-1982	Cecil “Bunny” Small

Teachers

Among the early teachers of Sifton School were Lila Muriel Burge Kennedy, Xenia Pelech (1938), Helen Piloski (1938), Anne Hrushowy (1938), Mary Urbanovitch (1938), J. Kahana (1938), J. Huyda (1938), Michael M. Sawchuk (1938), V. Poloway (1938), and Melvin Solar (?-?).

School Year	Teachers
1949-1950	Sister Alfred, John Ferance, Pauline Zuk
1950-1951	?
1951-1952	?
1952-1953	?
1953-1954	?
1954-1955	John Ferance, Sister M. Gerada, Miss Pauline Zuk
1955-1956	Sister Boniface, John Ferance, Miss Pauline Zuk
1956-1957	John Hrushowy, Mrs. Pauline M. Ignash, Marie Kowaluk
1957-1958	John Hrushowy, Marie Kowaluk, Stella Orisko, Nestor Weselowski
1958-1959	John Hrushowy, Nestor Weselowski, Mrs. Mary Yakielashek
1959-1960	Elsie Schesnuik, Steve Stasiuk, Mrs. Mary Yakielashek
1960-1961	Elsie Schesnuik, Steve Stasiuk, William E. Walker, Mrs. Mary Yakielashek
1961-1962	Elsie Schesnuik, ?
1962-1963	Elsie Schesnuik, ?
1963-1964	Elsie Schesnuik, Mrs. Mary Yakielashek
1964-1965	Elsie Schesnuik, Mrs. Mary Yakielashek
1965-1966	Elsie Schesnuik, Mrs. Mary Yakielashek
1966-1967	?
1967-1968	?
1968-1969	?
1969-1970	?
1970-1971	?
1971-1972	?
1972-1973	?
1973-1974	?
1974-1975	?
1975-1976	?
1976-1977	?
1977-1978	?
1978-1979	John Andrelunas (grades 5, 6), Elsie Lesyk (kindergarten, grades 1, 2), Robert Smith (grades 7, 8), Nadia Yakielashek (grades 3, 4)
1979-1980	John Andrelunas, Elsie Lesyk, Nadia Yakielashek
1980-1981	Elsie Lesyk (grades 1, 2), Mary Quick (kindergarten), Robert Smith (grades 5, 6), Nadia Yakielashek (grades 3, 4)
1981-1982	Elsie Lesyk (grades 1, 2), Mary Quick (kindergarten), Cecil “Bunny” Small (grades 5, 6), Nadia Yakielashek (grades 3, 4)

Photos & Coordinates

The original Sifton School (no date) by H. J. Everall Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs, GR8461, A0233, C131-2, page 39. Site of the former Sifton School building (May 2012) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Site Coordinates (lat/long): N51.35728, W100.14184 denoted by symbol on the map above

Sources:

“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.

“Twelve new faces among staff at Dauphin-Ochre schools,” Dauphin Herald, 6 September 1978, page 2.

“Dauphin Ochre teaching staff down slightly from last term,” Dauphin Herald, 12 September 1979, page 19.

“Teachers for 1980/81,” Dauphin Herald, 27 August 1980, page 16.

“School bells ring today,” Dauphin Herald, 2 September 1981, page 4.

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.

Sifton Then and Now: A Reminiscence of the Pioneer Era by Elsie Lesyk, Dauphin, 1992, pages 169-170.

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 Nathan Kramer and Adeline Curle for providing additional information used.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 30 December 2022

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