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Located in the Whiteshell Forest Reserve (now Whiteshell Provincial Park) at the townside of Falcon Lake, Falcon Beach School was founded as a Special School of the Manitoba Department of Education. Large-scale work on developing the resort townsite began in the 1950s and a school was established to serve the year-round families of the surrounding areas, replacing earlier capacity at West Hawk Lake School. School-age children who previously attended the West Hawk Lake transferred here when classes began in Fall 1957.
Though located within the Whiteshell, it was not part of the Whiteshell School District No. 2408, and was later attached to the Agassiz School Division (1971-?), School Division No. 50 (1977-1979, 1983-1984), and finally the Frontier School Division No. 48. As of around 1980, the building had three dedicated classrooms, a science laboratory, office, staff lounge, and other smaller rooms. Around the 1990s, the school was designated by the Department as School No. 1984.
In 2002, plans were announced to replace Falcon Beach School. It was designed by MCM Architects, built by Penn-Co Construction Canada Limited, and was situated directly behind and to the southeast of the original structure. The new school hosts grades 1-10 and was opened offically by Manitoba Education, Citizenship, and Youth Minister Peter Bjornson on 14 September 2006. No vestiges of the old schoolhouse remain.
Period
Principal
1965-1970
Helen Jane Burdeny
1970-1973
Morris Joseph Kustiak
1973-1980
Robert Kenneth Charles
1980-1983
?
1983-1984
William A. Yaworsky
1984-1986
?
1986-1987
William Donald “Bill” Kinley
1987-1988
?
1988-1992
Michael Joseph Vlasman
1992-2000
?
2000-2023
Gary Gilhen
2024-present
?
No information.
School Year
Teachers
Before 1957
1957-1958
Dave Dueck (grades 1-7)
1958-1959
Walter William Melnyk (grades 1-8)
1959-1960
Isabel A. Mayers (grades 1-9)
1960-1961
Lorna Mae Feilberg (grades 1-8, September-March), Elspeth Fitzmaurice (grades 1-8, April-June)
1961-1962
Helen Jane Burdeny (grades 1-8)
1962-1963
Helen Jane Burdeny (grades 1-8)
1963-1964
Helen Jane Burdeny (grades 1-8)
1964-1965
Helen Jane Burdeny (grades 1-7)
1965-1966
Helen Jane Burdeny (grades 4-8), Linda Gail Scott (grades 1-4)
1966-1967
Helen Jane Burdeny (grades 4-8), Lois Louise Rain (grades 1-4)
1967-1968
Helen Jane Burdeny (grades 5-8), Lois Louise Rain (grades 1-4)
1968-1969
Helen Jane Burdeny (grades 5-8), Martha Mabel Ratushniak (grades 1-4)
1969-1970
Helen Jane Burdeny (grades 5-8), Martha Mabel Ratushniak (grades 1-4)
1970-1971
Morris Joseph Kustiak (grades 5-8), Martha Mabel Ratushniak (grades 1-4)
1971-1972
Morris Joseph Kustiak (grades 5-8), Kathleen Elizabeth Matwee (remedial), Martha Mabel Ratushniak (grades 1-4)
1972-1973
Morris Joseph Kustiak (grades 6-8), Kathleen Elizabeth Matwee (grades 1-2), Martha Mabel Ratushniak (grades 3-5)
1973-1974
Robert Kenneth Charles (grades 5-8), Kathleen Elizabeth Matwee (grades 1-4), Kathryn Joy Winchell (nursery, kindergarten, & remedial)
1974-1975
Robert Kenneth Charles (grades 7-8), Kathryn Joy Winchell (nursery, kindergarten, & grades 1-3), Doris Evelyn Yaremkewich (grades 4-6)
1975-1976
Robert Kenneth Charles (grades 7-8), Barbara Helen Dennehy (nursery, kindergarten, & grades 1-3), Doris Evelyn Yaremkewich (grades 4-6)
1976-1977
Robert Kenneth Charles (grades 7-8), Barbara Helen Dennehy (nursery, kindergarten, & grades 1-3), Doris Evelyn Yaremkewich (grades 4-6)
1977-1978
Robert Kenneth Charles (grades 7-8), Barbara Helen Dennehy Linklater (grades 1-3), Doris Evelyn Yaremkewich (grades 4-6)
1978-1979
Robert Kenneth Charles (grades 6-8), Barbara Helen Dennehy (nursery, kindergarten, & grades 1-2), Linda Evelyn Reynolds (grades 3-5)
1979-1980
Robert Kenneth Charles (grades 6-8), Barbara Helen Dennehy Linklater (nursery, kindergarten, & grades 1-3), Linda Evelyn Reynolds (grades 4-5)
1980-1981
?
1981-1982
?
1982-1983
?
1983-1984
Sheena Miriam Hall (grades 1-4), William A. Yaworsky (grades 5-8)
1984-1985
?
1985-1986
?
1986-1987
Kari Jo Kinley (grades 5-8, 0.5 relief teacher), William Donald “Bill” Kinley (grades 5-8, 0.5), Gail Lynn Kress (grades 1-4)
1987-1988
?
1988-1989
Janet Irene Kaspick (grades 1-4), Heather Louise McDonald (nursery & kindergarten), Michael Joseph Vlasman (grades 5-8)
1989-1990
Janet Irene Kaspick (grades 1-3), Heather Louise McDonald (nursery & kindergarten, 0.5), Michael Joseph Vlasman (grades 4-8)
1990-1991
Suzana Filipovic (grades 1-3), Holly Natalie Lovell (kindergarten, teachers aide 0.5), Heather Louise McDonald (nursery & kindergarten, 0.5), Victoria Josephine McNicholl (teachers aide, 0.57), Michael Joseph Vlasman (grades 4-8)
1991-1992
Heather Louise McDonald (nursery & kindergarten, 0.5), Victoria Josephine McNicholl (teachers aide, 0.50), Shannon Dawn Tod (nursery & kindergarten, teachers aide 0.5), Michael Joseph Vlasman (grades 4-7)
1992-1993
?
1993-1994
?
1994-1995
?
1995-1996
?
1996-1997
?
1997-1998
?
1998-1999
?
1999-2000
?
2000-2001
?
2001-2002
?
2002-2003
?
2003-2004
?
2004-2005
?
2005-2006
?
2006-2007
?
2007-2008
?
2008-2009
?
2009-2010
?
2010-2011
?
2011-2012
?
2012-2013
?
2013-2014
?
2014-2015
?
2015-2016
?
2016-2017
?
2017-2018
?
2018-2019
?
2019-2020
?
2020-2021
?
2021-2022
?
2022-2023
?
2023-2024
?
2024-2025
?
Falcon Beach School main floor plan (c1980)
Source: Archives of Manitoba, E 0166, GR1323, Special Schools - Falcon Lake School - Facilities
Falcon Beach School (June 2025)
Source: Nathan Kramer
Falcon Beach School (June 2025)
Source: Nathan Kramer
Falcon Beach School (June 2025)
Source: Nathan Kramer
Falcon Beach School (June 2025)
Source: Nathan Kramer
Falcon Beach School commemorative plaque (June 2025)
Source: Nathan KramerSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.69096, W95.32523
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: West Hawk Lake School (West Hawk Lake School, Whiteshell Provincial Park)
Manitoba Business: Prain and Ward / Ward and Macdonald / Macdonald Cockburn McLeod and McFeetors / MCM Architects
“Manitoba scenic spots hold big holiday lure,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 August 1952, page 3.
“Falcon Beach special school [...],” Winnipeg Tribune, 6 April 1959, page 19.
“Steinbach District news [Mr. and Mrs. Dave Dueck ...],” Steinbach Carillon News, 5 September 1958, page 4.
“Falcon Beach Special School [...],” Winnipeg Tribune, 15 April 1959, page 42.
“3 families in arrears; no Falcon Lake school bus,” Winnipeg Free Press, 4 September 1962, page 3.
“Falcon Lake famous as a vacation spot,” Winnipeg Tribune, 3 August 1968, Showcase edition pages 6 & 7.
“Falcon Beach School joins Agassiz,” Springfield Leader, 31 August 1971, page 3.
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.
“Province of Manitoba Department of Education: Falcon Beach School [...],” Winnipeg Tribune, 27 June 1980, page 51.
“School staff cut,” Steinbach Carillon, 7 July 1982, pages 1 & 2A.
“Frontier School division #48 requires teachers,” Winnipeg Free Press, 25 November 2000, page D15.
“New school for Falcon Beach, “ CBC News, 19 December 2002.
“New Falcon Beach School Officially Opens,” News Releases - 14 September 2006, Government of Manitoba.
Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes - 14-15 December 2023, Frontier School Division.
Park System planning files (C 0050), F15-2 Whiteshell - Maps, GR15129, Archives of Manitoba.
School division half-yearly attendance reports (E 0757), Archives of Manitoba.
School division student yearly attendance reports (E 0758A), Archives of Manitoba.
Trustee records regarding geographically remote schools directly administered by Department (E 0166), Special Schools - Falcon Lake School - Facilities (1977-1982), GR1323, Archives of Manitoba.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 4 July 2025
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