Historic Sites of Manitoba: La Riviere Consolidated School No. 516 (La Riviere, Municipality of Pembina)

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

The La Riviere School District was established in September 1887 in La Riviere in what is now the Municipality of Pembina. In 1908, it became a Consolidated School and, through the years, several smaller rural schools were closed and their students came to it, including Silver Springs School No. 119, Archibald School No. 151, Kingsley School No. 221, McKenzie School No. 235, Willowdale School No. 309, and Mountain School No. 367. A two-storey brick school building was constructed in 1903, using bricks made at the nearby brickyard, and it operated until 1945 when it was condemned as unsafe. Classes were held in various places around the village until a replacement school was constructed later that year. It opened in January 1946 and had four classrooms, a library, science laboratory, furnace room, and auditorium. The school closed in 1984 and the building was demolished. The site is now occupied by a private residence.

Principals

Period	Principal
1905-1913	James Tod (1869-1930)
1913-1915	Harmon Elmer Sweet (1888-1967)
1915-1920	Blanche McIntyre (1886-1974)
1920-1921	E. M. MacGregor
1921-1925	Marjory Thompson Smith (1892-1969)
1925-1926	Ruth Parker (1894-1953)
1926-1927	Robert Cameron Mulligan (1889-1976)
1927-1931	Marjory Thompson Smith (1892-1969)
1931-1941	Peter W. Warkentin (?-?)
1941-1942	Marjory Thompson Smith (1892-1969)
1942-1946	Norris George Aitken (1913-2001)
1946-1947	Ruby Valera Arndt Joyce (1916-2021)
1947-1948	Rudolph Verne Dankesreiter (1900-1952)
1948-1950	Chester MacMillan Fraser (1904-1975)
1950-1951	Teresa Moloney (1899-1983)
1951-1955	Annie Belle Fraser (1892-1974)
1955-1956	Harry Shafransky (1930-1986)
1956-1958	Jack L. Horky
1958-1960	John Vanderstoel (1933-2013)
1960-1962	Gordon Victor Reynolds (1926-1964)
1962-1963	D. Friesen
1963-1964	Edward V. Domaratzki
1964-1967	?
1967-1969	William Sanford “Bill” Kirbyson (1908-1995)

Teachers

School Year	Teachers
1889	Emily Armstrong, J. M. Stewart
1890	Lydia Buchanan
1891	George Thomas
1892	Lida Brown
1893	Tillie Couch
1894	Maggie McDougall
1895	Anna Creighton, Maggie McDougall
1896	L. Cranston
1897-1900	Vivian Cooper
1900-1901	Harry McIntosh
1905-1907	Maggie Blain
1907-1909	Helen Perfect
1909	Mary Black
1910-1911	Gertrude Grith
1911-1912	June Maloney
1912	Leah Embury
1913	A. E. Pollock
1914-1915	J. P. Bennett, Bessie Forrest, Ethel McBeth
1915-1916	A. E. Pollock
1918	Elizabeth Fargey, Florence Fargey, Grace Oke
1919	Helen Amy, Edna Campain, A. E. Pollock
1920-1921	Helen Amy, Elizabeth Fargey, Walter Morrow
1921-1922	Annie Christian, Elizabeth Fargey
1924	N. Petrie, J. C. Williamson
1925	Alma Erickson, A. E. Pollock
1926-1927	S. E. Moffatt, R. C. Mulligan
1927-1928	C. M. Fraser, Marjorie Jeffrey, A. E. Pollock, M. Thompson
1930	Art Lawson, A. E. Pollock
1931-1936	Annie B. Fraser, Marjorie Jeffrey, Annie Pollock
1937	Annie B. Fraser, Marjorie Jeffrey
1938	Annie Blackburn, Annie B. Fraser
1939-1940	Annie Blackburn, Annie B. Fraser, Jean E. McDonald
1941-1942	Annie Davis (Blackburn), Lydia Fargey, Annie B. Fraser
1942-1943	Ila Cockriell, Annie B. Fraser, Dorothy Houlden
1943-1944	Ila Cockriell, Ila Langley
1944-1945	Ila Cockriell, Ila Langley
1945-1946	Ila Langley, Ruby Plomp, Doris Shaver
1946-1947	Norma Handford, Ruby Plomp, Doris Shaver
1947-1948	Phyliss Beaumont, Lyra McQuarrie
1948-1949	Lyra McQuarrie, D. Glen Stewart
1949-1951	Lyra McQuarrie, Myrtle Scharf
1951-1952	Lavina Klien, L. O. Long, Beulah Weeks
1952-1953	Mrs. M. J. Gliddon, K. N. Krym, Phyliss Lundgren
1953-1954	Phyliss Lundgren, Irene Patterson
1954-1955	Hazel Harris, Lavina Klien, Phyliss Lundgren
1955-1956	Verna McCartney, Helen Morrow
1956-1957	Myrtle Scharf, L. A. Schultz
1957-1958	Myrtle Scharf, John Vanderstoel
1958-1960	Ewart Hudson, Myrtle Scharf
1960-1962	Donna Knight, Bruce Mintenko, Myrtle Scharf
1962-1963	Darlene Henderson, Bruce Mintenko, Myrtle Scharf, Vera Stewart
1963-1964	Tena Moffatt, Carol Pokrant, Bryan Tyerman, Carol Tyerman
1964-1965	Tena Moffat, Bryan Tyerman, Carol Tyerman, Alida Zaal
1965-1966	Tena Moffatt, Lois Stilwell, Bryan Tyerman, Carol Tyerman
1966-1967	Pat Dunn, Gorge Hinds, Tena Moffat, Ivy Rance, Myrtle Scharf, Lois Stilwell
1967-1968	Pat Dunn, Jean Gardiner, William Kirbyson, Tena Moffat
1968-1969	Pat Dunn, William Kirbyson, Tena Moffat, Cheryl Rose
1969-1970	Pat Cavers, Jake Letkeman, Tena Moffatt, Marge Norrie, Donna Riseborough
1970-1972	Millie Goosen, Emily Goring, Jake Letkeman, Marge Norrie
1972-1973	Dennis Herntier, Jake Letkeman, Emily Lovell, Marge Norrie
1973-1974	Bruce Johnson, Kathy Kuran, Jake Letkeman, Emily Lovell, Gerry McPhail
1974-1975	?
1975-1976	?
1976-1977	?
1977-1978	?
1978-1979	?
1979-1980	?
1980-1981	?
1981-1982	?
1982-1983	?
1983-1984	?

Photos & Coordinates

Postcard view of La Riviere School (1908) by Winnipeg Photo Company Source: Gordon Goldsborough, 2011-0037 Postcard view of La Riviere School (no date) Source: Carol Wilkinson Postcard view of La Riviere School (no date) Source: Rob McInnes, MN0306 La Riviere School commemorative sign (April 2011) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.23622, W98.67747 denoted by symbol on the map above

Sources:

Annual Reports of the Manitoba Department of Education, Manitoba Legislative Library.

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.

Turning Leaves: A History of La Riviere and District by La Riviere Historical Book Committee, c1979. [Manitoba Legislative Library, F5649.L38 Tur]

We thank Rob McInnes, Nathan Kramer, and Carol Wilkinson for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 10 March 2023

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