Memories of Oak River School

It is hard to imagine just how many students and staff have passed through the doors of the five school buildings in Oak River over the years and went on to recall fond memories of their times there.  I hope today's blog post does just that for my readers.  The Manitoba Historical Society webpage about the schools here was a valuable help in  my research as were the RM of Blanshard History books.
In 1891, a building being used as a school was moved one mile south from SW 4-14-22  into the growing town.  A two-story four-classroom brick veneer structure designed by Brandon architect W. A. Elliott was later built at a cost of about $12,000. This building opened in the spring of 1907 but was destroyed a few short months later by fire on October 21,1908 apparently while classes were in session. A replacement school was constructed during the summer of 1909 and opened later that year.


In May 1917, Oak River School was consolidated with three rural schools, Bankburn School No. 1098, Maplewood School No. 662, and Wheatland School No. 304, to form the Oak River Consolidated School District No. 253.  Students were transported from the outlying areas to town in horse drawn and later motorized vans including one driven by my grandmother Mary Simms and her son Bob. The school van picture to the right is from the collection of Gwen (Simms) Milliken from her days teaching at Oakleigh School. 



The fourth Oak River School was built in 1929.  My Dad and his twin sister Dorothy are marked in the photo below on the front step about 10 years later.  (The former teacher in me notices the three little trustworthy boys with the triangles sitting cross legged in front and the wary teacher's eye on the boys in the back to behave during the picture taking!)

This building served the community and surrounding area for many years. In 1959 Grades 9 - 12 became part of Ward 2 of the Rolling River School Division #39 following a province wide recommendation for larger governing bodies.  Within a few years, all grades were brought under division responsibility as well.   In 1959, classrooms were built in the Oak River School basement and a separate collegiate was built just north of it in 1961 to accommodate the increasing enrollment.  In 1968, it was decided the Grade 10 - 12 students would be bussed to Rivers Collegiate. Community members established a private Kindergarten in 1961 and in 1968 it was taken over by the Rolling River School division.

This school (pictured at the top of this post) originally had four classrooms, with two more added on the north end in 1945. I remember the 5 classrooms (south two with cloakrooms), music room and staff room in the middle. The basement had 2 sides for boys and girls washrooms as well as a Science room and was used for indoor recess and a gym.  This building closed in 1977 when the all students were then taught in the Junior High School building and two "huts". 

Oak River School Grade 3 class 1972 (Yours truly in her red, blue and white hotpants second from the left)

My Mom, Margaret (Kinnaird) Simms taught the Grade 3-4 class at this school for 4 years beginning in 1956. Her friend Joyce first got a position there and Mom went to practice teach after her time in teacher training at Brandon College.  As it turned out, she met my Dad in Oak River and continues to live there - 63 years later!




The 1961 collegiate building is still presently home to Oak River School and also accommodates a daycare center called Villages United. I was pleased to see on the school website that the "chicken hawk" mascot lives on that was designed by my classmate Charlie Shingoose in the late 1970's.  Look - I still have the t shirt from the school uniform! More importantly, I could find it...

Enjoy some time with your memories today!