The Square Plains School District was organized formally in January 1900 and a one-room schoolhouse was built on the northeast corner of NW11-35-28W in what is now the Municipality of Swan Valley West. When the Davidson School District was formed two miles south of this location, and took some land from the district, in 1905 the trustees decided to move the schoolhouse two and a half miles north, to the southeast corner of NE26-35-28W. The building was destroyed by a grass fire in 1909 and a replacement was not constructed for two years, opening in 1911 at SE5-36-27W. This building was burned down in 1953 after which students were bused to Swan River. The district was dissolved in 1967 and its catchment area became part of the Swan Valley School Division.
Among the teachers of Square Plains School were Laura Latimer (1900), Miss Greig (1901), Miss Hawithorn (?), Miss Wallegar (1905-1906), Miss Cunningham (1911), Miss Crowe (1912), Dorothy Cope (1913), ? Anderson (1913-1914), Ida M. Andrews (1915), Phyllis Heyes (1916-1917), ? H. O'Dell (1918-1919), M. H. Howard (1919-1920), Evelyn Mills (1920), ? Fraser (1921-1922), Pearl Fulton (?), Miss Currie (?), H. Beyman (1923-1926), Vida Murphy (1926-1927), Edith McArthur (1927-1928), Mildred Smith (1928-1929), Nellie Johnson (1930-1932), Ruby Chemago (1932-1934), Sylvia Reid (1934-1937), Donalda Stewart (1937-1941), Thelma Wilson (1941-1942), Mrs. Florence Johnson (1942-1944), Francis Provins (1944-1946), Ruby Mortimer (1946-1947), Elsie Vessey (1947-1948), Belva Allan (1948-1951), and Jennie Filuk (1951-1952).
The second Square Plains School building (no date) by J. S. Peach
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs,
GR8461, A0233, C131-2, page 44.
The second Square Plains School building (no date) by J. S. Peach
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs,
GR8461, A0233, C131-2, page 44.Site Coordinates (lat/long): N52.05657, W101.28636
denoted by symbol on the map above
School District Formation Files [Square Plains School District No. 1053], GR1688, E0027, Archives of Manitoba.
Kenville, Ruby, Mt. Crest, Davidson, Harlington, Square Plains, Pretty Valley by Kenville Reunion Committee, July 1977.
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.
Boots, Buggies & Buses: Swan Valley Schools in Quest of Education, Swan Valley School Division No. 35, circa 1998.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 25 May 2021
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