Historic Sites of Manitoba: South Ward School / Daerwood School (211 Main Street, Selkirk)

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

In September 1907, voters of the Selkirk School District decided by a 97 to 7 margin to spend $11,000 upgrading the Central School and building the South Ward School. The single-storey, two-room building was situated on the west side of Main Street in Selkirk, just north and immediately across from Grain Avenue. Two years later, voters overwhelmingly approved a grade re-alignment whereby the South Ward School was used exclusively for high school grades.

In May 1949, construction of a new $150,000 school building got under way with the award of a contract to the Leitch Construction Company. A cornerstone laying ceremony followed on 15 July, performed by Minister of Education C. Rhodes Smith and School Inspector H. E. Riter. Also present were Attorney-General and former School Board Chairman James Osborne McLenaghen, Acting Mayor Stefan “Steve” Oliver, School Board Chairman Charles Harper, ex-Chair Ruth Caroline Hooker, Chamber of Commerce President F. L. Bishop, Reverend S. Olafson, and Reverend R. S. Montgomery.

The single-storey, eight-classroom facility, designed by Winnipeg architect Edgar Prain, featured an auditorium, home economics classes, and manual training departments. The new building, set further back from Main Street and behind the original structure, opened in early January 1950. The old building was later demolished. An expansion of the west side occurred in 1976.

A contest held by the School Board selected the name “Daerwood” submitted by Barry Gordon, son of Selkirk Mayor William E. Gordon.

Principals

Period	Principal
1907-1920	?
1920-1922	Beulah Lyall Dickinson Morrison (1897-1993)
1922-1927	?
1927-1928	F. M. Pringle
1928-1929	?
1929-1935	George Egerton Snider (1874-1935)
1935-1936	?
1936-1937	John Macgregor Wilkie (1904-1991)
1937-1942	Frederick Andrew Richard Justus (1878-1943)
1942-1943	?
1943-1968	Mary McLaren “Mae” Gardiner (?-1997)
1968-2014	?
2014-?	Darcelle Saunders

Teachers

School Year	Teachers
1913-1914	Miss Lee
1921-1922	Beulah Lyall Dickinson, Miss McLean, Miss Ruth Swanson
1932-1933	Miss E. Abett, Miss E. Hedley, Miss V. Lea
1933-1934	?
1934-1935	Miss E. Ablett, Miss E. Hedley, Miss V. Lea
1935-1936	Miss E. Ablett, Miss E. Hedley, Miss V. Lea
1936-1937	Myrtle Goldstone, Miss E. Hedley, Miss V. Lea
1937-1938	Myrtle Goldstone, Miss V. Lea, Miss M. McLeod
1938-1939	?
1939-1940	Verna Gunter, Alda Jones
1940-1941	Verna Gunter, Mary McClellan
1941-1942	Mary McClellan, Kathleen McQueen
1942-1943	Miss M. McClellan, Miss J.T. Tweed
1943-1944	Miss L. Greenham, Miss B. Macintosh, Miss F. Thordarson
1944-1945	Miss A. Bannerman, Miss L. Greenham, Miss J. Grey
1945-1946	Beatrice Allen, Miss A. Bannerman, Margaret Eames, Miss B. Macintosh
1946-1947	Miss B. Allen (grade 1), Miss M. Bannerman (grade 4), Margaret Eames (grade 5), Mary McLaren “Mae” Gardiner (grade 6), Elizabeth Margaret “Bess” Macintosh (grades 2 & 3)
1947-1948	Beatrice Allen, Miss A. Bannerman, Margaret Eames, Miss B. Macintosh
1948-1949	?
1949-1950	Margaret Eames, Miss Constance Holliday, Miss Jean McKen
1950-1951	Margaret Eames, Myrtle Eassett, Margaret Penner, Dorothy Reickseidler, Eldora Reickseidler, Annie Tkazcuk
1951-1952	Margaret Eames, Mrs. M. Empy, Miss M. Empy, Miss E. H. Klein, Miss M. Penner, Dorothy Reickseidler, Eldora Reickseidler, Annie Thaczuk
1952-1953	A. Browning, Margaret Eames, A. R. Miller, Miss M. Penner, Dorothy Reickseidler, Eldora Reickseidler, E. Stelman, E. Taylor, Annie Thaczuk
1953-1954	Miss M. Andrew, Mrs. A. Browning, Mrs. I. Duckenich, Margaret Eames, Miss A. Patuchenko, Miss E. Reckseidler, Miss I. Stelman, Mrs. E. Taylor
1954-1955	Miss E. Beckseidler (Grade 1), Mrs. M. Blackman (Home Economics), Miss C. Carmichael (Grade 1), Mrs. I. Dukenich (Grade 3), Margaret Eames (Grade 6), Mary McLaren “Mae” Gardiner (Grade 7), Elizabeth Margaret “Bess” Macintosh (Grade 2), Miss A. G. Pastushenko (Grade 6), Miss E. E. Steiman (Grade 4), Mrs. E. J. Taylor (Grade 5)
1955-1956	Mrs. M. Blackman, Mrs. I. E. Dukenich, Margaret Eames, Miss N. Fraser, Miss M. I. Kerr, Mrs. E. J. Taylor, Miss G. M. Todo

Long-time teachers included Mary McLaren “Mae” Gardiner (1928-1943) and Elizabeth Margaret “Bess” Macintosh (1943-1971).

Photos & Coordinates

South Ward School (no date) Source: Gordon Goldsborough, 2014-0244 Daerwood School (August 2016) Source: Nathan Kramer Site Coordinates (lat/long): N50.13616, W96.88301 denoted by symbol on the map above

Sources:

“Selkirk schools,” Winnipeg Tribune, 10 September 1907, page 12.

“Changes school policy,” Winnipeg Tribune, 17 August 1909, page 3.

Western Canada Fire Underwriters’ Association, [Selkirk, Man., on Canadian Pacific Railway, 24 miles north of Winnipeg, 2nd survey 20th Sept. 1916], Sheets 18-21, Library and Archives Canada.

“Selkirk news and local events,” Manitoba Free Press, 15 August 1914, page 31.

“Selkirk,” Manitoba Free Press, 31 August 1920, page 11.

“Interesting newsy items from Selkirk,” Manitoba Free Press, 6 September 1921, page 4.

“Selkirk school party,” Winnipeg Tribune, 1 November 1927, page 6.

“Grade 12 to be tought [sic] at Selkirk Collegiate” Winnipeg Tribune, 14 September 1932, page 3.

“Four Selkirk schools open for fall season,” Winnipeg Tribune, 20 September 1933, page 11.

“Many present as school goes in at Selkirk,” Winnipeg Tribune, 5 September 1935, page 3.

“Selkirk schools open,” Winnipeg Tribune, 3 September 1936, page 3.

“Teachers are named for Selkirk schools,” Winnipeg Tribune, 11 August 1937, page 2.

“One thousand pupils for Selkirk schools,” Winnipeg Free Press, 30 August 1939, page 2.

“Thousand to enroll in Selkirk schools,” Winnipeg Free Press, 29 August 1940, page 4.

“Schools of Selkirk to reopen Tuesday,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 September 1941, page 3.

“Selkirk schools open,” Winnipeg Free Press, 2 September 1942, page 2.

“Schools to reopen in Selkirk Sept. 7,” Winnipeg Free Press, 26 August 1943, page 10.

“Selkirk schools to reopen Tuesday,” Winnipeg Tribune, 31 August 1944, page 3.

“Selkirk school staff engage for new term,” Winnipeg Free Press, 28 August 1945, page 19.

“Selkirk school staff named,” Winnipeg Tribune, 31 August 1946, page 20.

“Selkirk news,” Winnipeg Tribune, 23 August 1947, page 9.

“Tenders,” Winnipeg Free Press, 17 January 1949, page 17.

“Selkirk Council plans special meeting,” Winnipeg Free Press, 18 April 1949, page 3.

“Selkirk Board praised at new school opening,” Winnipeg Tribune, 18 July 1949, page 3.

“School cornerstone ceremony,” Winnipeg Tribune, 18 July 1949, page 3.

[Photo caption], Winnipeg Free Press, 18 July 1949, page 10.

“Selkirk schools re-open on Monday,” Winnipeg Tribune, 27 August 1949, page 19.

“Selkirk schools have record teaching staff,” Winnipeg Free Press, 31 August 1950, page 23.

“Selkirk notes,” Winnipeg Free Press, 3 September 1951, page 11.

“The old main road,” Winnipeg Free Press, 3 September 1951, page 13.

“Staffs named for schools at Selkirk,” Winnipeg Free Press, 28 August 1952, page 10.

“School Board lists teachers at Selkirk,” Winnipeg Free Press, 3 September 1953, page 8.

“Selkirk schools set teacher list,” Winnipeg Free Press, 28 August 1954, page 2.

“School starts Sept. 1 for Selkirk pupils,” Winnipeg Free Press, 26 August 1955, page 12.

Obituary [Elizabeth Margaret Macintosh], Winnipeg Free Press, 22 November 2003, page B10.

This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.

Page revised: 5 September 2021

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. SEARCH the collection Browse lists of: Museums/Archives | Buildings | Monuments | Cemeteries | Locations | Other 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. Send corrections and additions to this page to the MHS Webmaster at webmaster@mhs.mb.ca. Search Tips | Suggest an Historic Site | FAQ Help us keep history alive!