TES History

Treherne Elementary School Marks 50 Years

50 years ago construction was completed on a brand new elementary school in Treherne. A quote from The Treherne Times:

“There occurred on Tuesday, March 22nd, 1960, an event which will greatly affect the lives of many, many, many people in Treherne and district during the years to come. The new public school was opened. The entire building is something of which every person in this community may feel justly proud.”

The Winnipeg Free Press reported in their paper on Saturday, March 26th, 1960 that “Students moved Tuesday morning into Treherne’s new $180,000 elementary school after studying in makeshift classrooms since last fall. The new structure has spacious classrooms and halls in contrast. Previous classes were taught in two rooms above the local drugstore, in the Legion Hall, Masonic Hall and in Cassandra school, a country schoolhouse moved into town last year following consolidation. This makeshift accommodation became necessary after the West Treherne School was destroyed by fire in1957. Cassandra School is now being used to accommodate 29 students in Grade 9 and 11 who previously held classes in the old movie hall. This leaves 35 students in Grade 10 and 12 in the movie hall makeshift rooms. A school official said the high school students are anxiously awaiting steps by Tiger Hills School Division to build a new high school here.
Members of the local school board, teachers, students and townspeople worked all Monday afternoon to unpack and arrange the 200 desks in seven of the eight classrooms in the new school.
Work on the new structure was begun last June but operations were slowed by the lumber workers’ strike in British Columbia. Contractors were Hoffman Construction of Morris, Man. and the architects Smith Carter Searle Associates of Winnipeg.”

 

• 1957 – West Treherne School (Gr. 1 – 12) destroyed by fire

• 1957-1960 – Classes were taught in 2 rooms above the drugstore, in the Legion Hall, Masonic Hall and in Cassandra School, a country schoolhouse moved into town in 1959 following consolidation of schools

• 1959 – Consolidated School District #537 is formed which included the school districts of Wilson Glen, Louise, Matchettville, West Treherne and Cassandra.  Adjacent parts of Arbroath, East Treherne, Boyne Creek, Pinkerton and Centreville also joined. 

• June 1959 – Construction begins on new elementary school in Treherne

• March 22, 1960 – 197 students from Treherne and former country schools move into the new $180,000 elementary school

• January, 1971 – Tiger Hills School Division became a unitary division

• March 26, 1987 – Grand opening for the extensive renovations at Treherne Elementary School

• September, 1988 – Rathwell School is closed and former Rathwell students are included in the Treherne Elementary School catchment area

• August, 1998 – Tiger Hills School Division #29 amalgamation with Pembina Valley School Division to become Prairie Spirit School Division #50

• September, 2002 - Prairie Spirit School Division #50 amalgamation with Mountain School Division to become Prairie Spirit School Division