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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

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

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

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:
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Inclusion 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.


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