Historic Sites of Manitoba: Elva School No. 694 (Elva, Municipality of Two Borders)

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

The village of Elva was founded in 1891, on the northwest quarter of 18-3-27W in what is now the Municipality of Two Borders, on land sold to the Canadian Pacific Railway by James R. Skelton. The town was named after Elva Modeland, alleged to be the first white child born in the area. Elva School District was formally established in May 1892 and a school was erected northwest of Elva in the late 1890s. It was moved into Elva in 1898 and, four years later, replaced by a larger, two-storey frame building, located at N49.21649, W101.11817. A new elementary school was built in 1965. It closed in 1974 due to school consolidation. Its former location is marked by a monument.

Principals

Period	Principal
1951-1952	Delorie Wessels “Del” Howell (1925-2008)
1952-1953	F. E. Wadsworth
1953-1954	Frank E. Basiuk

Teachers

Among the teachers who worked at Elva School through the years were Daniel Armenius Wickware (1896), Hector McArthur (1898-1900), Janette Landreth (1900-1901), Sealy Mack McCleland, Genevieve Lipsett (1905), Louise Anderson (1906), Mary Stewart (1906), John B. Stewart (1906), W. N. Stewart (1907-1910), Mamie Riddell (1910-1914), Olive Grant (1912), Albert G. Fulford (1912-1913), Solomon Abraham (1913), H. A. Snowden (1914), Mr. Mahoney, Miss Robertson, Miss Buckley, Mr. Ball, Mr. McConnick, Edwin H. Clark (1911-1912), Isabel Melvin (1912-1925), Clarence Moore (1915), John Williams (1912-1925), Beryle McNiven (1925-1929), Miss M. Phayr (1912-1925), Elsie Gardiner (1922), Miss Hefford, Miss Willa Dorsey (1912-1925), Lela Moon (1921), Marjorie Blowers (1925), Annetta Weichman (1912-1925), Mr. Wright, Miss Jean Anderson, Grace Dunning, Phyllis Leslie, Miss Henry, Inez V. Babb (1922), Miss Ogletree (1912-1925), Gertrude Mason (1912-1925), Reva Stewart (1912-1925), Nettie Turnbull (1912-1925), Mr. W. Jones (1912-1925), Dennis Vallee (1912-1925), Elizabeth Grierson (1925-1929), Tranna Calvert (1929), Miss M. McGee (1925-1929), Anne Potter Mainland (1929), Gwen Hawcett (1925-1929), Marie Thompson (1925-1929), Miss W. Yuill (1925-1929), J. Crawford McMillan (1930), Winnifred Potter, Frank C. Jacobs, William Turkula (1946-1947), Velma Thompson (1946-1947), Mr. Ditchko, Rudolph V. Dankesreiter, Joe Kachor (1948), Noreen A. Robinson (1949), Audrey J. Taylor (1950-1951), Ruth Wilken (1950-1951), Evelyn Basiuk (1953-1955), Grace Johnson Roblin (1955-1956), A. J. MacLeod (1955-1956), Zenon Stephan Pohorecky (1957-1958), Joyce Walker (1957-1959), Sarah Barker (1959-1960), Gloria Allan Innes (1961-1975), Evelyn Roblin (1962-1963), A. E. Gresbrech (1963-1964), Linda Moldowan (1964-1965), Ken Hafenbrok (1965-1966), Gladys E. Snyder (1966-1967), Hazel Lamport (1968-1969), Laureen Morton (1970-1971), Donnelda Wheelans (1972-1974), and Edna Wilson (1974-1975).

Photos & Coordinates

Elva School (no date) by George Hunter Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs, GR8461, A0233, C131-1, page 110. Elva School commemorative monument (October 2011) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.21688, W101.11416 denoted by symbol on the map above

Sources:

“Elva, Man”, Western Canada Fire Underwriters’ Association map, 1916, Archives of Manitoba.

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.

Harvests of Time: History of the R.M. of Edward by Edward History Book Committee, 1983, pages 149-151.

Obituary [Noreen A. Junson], Winnipeg Free Press, 3 October 2020.

We thank Nathan Kramer and Eric Pohorecky for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 24 May 2023

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