Historic Sites of Manitoba: New Ireland School / Zephyr School No. 1384 (RM of Argyle)

Known originally as the New Ireland School District when it was formally established in June 1906, the district was later renamed. A school building was erected the next year, on the northwest corner of 7-4-12 west of the Principal Meridian, in the Rural Municipality of Argyle. A school barn at the site was built in 1937.

The school closed in December 1952 and the remaining students went to other nearby schools, including Mariapolis Consolidated School No. 2372, Excelsior School No. 449, Marringhurst School No. 231, or Glenora School No. 736. The district was dissolved in January 1959. The building is no longer on the site but a monument commemorates it. Atop the monument is a small replica of the school made by Archie Richmond.

Among the teachers who worked at Zephyr School were Morley L. Bell, Mary Richardson, Victor W. Jenkins, Ethel Miller, Jean L. Straug, Winnifred J. E. Brears, Bertha Sullivan, Violet Fjeldsted, Clara Bishop, N. P. Laurence, Jennie McLennan (1915-1917), Dorothy A. Gilbert (1917-1918), Elda A. Burr (1918-1920), Lillian Jessamive Lodge (1920-1921), Mary A. Thomson (1920-1922), May Windsor (1922-1923), Clara Beatrice McQuarrie (1926-1928), Alice Maybelle Fowler (1928-1929), Elna Johansen (1929-1931), Jean Ellen Fleming (1931-1933, 1938-1940), Evelyn Gertrude Hainstock (1933-1937), Helen Isabelle Drysdale (1937-1938), George Robert Pool (1938-1940), Marjorie M. Meder (1940-1941), Thelma May Syms (1942-1943), Ulysse Bohemier (1942-1943), Alberic Marginet (1943-1944), Marie A. Elizabeth Gautron (1944-1946), Agnes Cecilia Poczik (1946-1947), Aime Guilbert (1946-1947), Rose Marie Anne Regitneg (1947-1948), Mrs. Richard Graham (1948-1949), Joseph Anthony Duhamel (1948-1949), Genevieve G. C. Ricker (1949-1950), Lillian Ange-Marie Pantel (1950-1951), and Gilberte Anne Lebeau (1951-1952).

Zephyr School (no date) by G. H. Robertson Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs, GR8461, A0233, C131-2, page 108. Zephyr School commemorative sign (October 2011) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.31061, W99.01939 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Baldur District Schools (RM of Argyle)

Sources:

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.

A Study of Public School Buildings in Manitoba by David Butterfield, Historic Resources Branch, Manitoba Department of Culture, Heritage and Tourism, 1994, 230 pages.

“History of Zephyr School District No. 1384” by Evelyn Graham Jones, typewritten document at Zephyr School monument, October 2011.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 22 January 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!