Red Lake's first school, 1931
As more and more miners brought their families to Red Lake, there was a need for a school. The Northern Transportation Company donated Red Lake’s first school in 1930. Eleven students enrolled under the tutelage of G.B. Collier. In 1931, Jack Hammell gave the school board the money needed to build a new schoolhouse. A second teacher was employed to teach the junior grades in 1932. The Red Lake Public School applied for continuation status in 1934, to accommodate the town's older students. By 1935, the school had three teachers - Mr. Crawley, Mr. Jordan and Miss Smith - teaching grades 1 - 9. The Red Lake Continuation School was constructed in 1938 and would stay associated with the Red Lake Public School until 1945. The continuation school closed in 1952.
Before 1937, the Red Lake Public School was funded entirely by donation. After January 1937, a taxation system was put into place to support the school and its upkeep. Employees from Howey Gold Mines and several Red Lake businesses had $1 deducted from their pay each month. The other mining communities would follow this same tax system when they opened schools. All of the public schools added more classrooms as enrollment rose. Grade nine and ten students went to the Red Lake Continuation School for classes until the Red Lake District High School opened in 1952.
Before 1937, the Red Lake Public School was funded entirely by donation. After January 1937, a taxation system was put into place to support the school and its upkeep. Employees from Howey Gold Mines and several Red Lake businesses had $1 deducted from their pay each month. The other mining communities would follow this same tax system when they opened schools. All of the public schools added more classrooms as enrollment rose. Grade nine and ten students went to the Red Lake Continuation School for classes until the Red Lake District High School opened in 1952.
The McKenzie Island School, 1939
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McKenzie Island residents met on August 6, 1937 to discuss the creation of a school on McKenzie Island. McKenzie Red Lake Gold Mines and Gold Eagle Mines agreed to institute a school taxation system to pay for constructing and sustaining of a school for the island's children. The mines advanced the new school board the money, and the school opened on September 2, 1937. In 1945, the McKenzie Island School Board decided to open a satellite location for the students in Cochenour.
The first meeting of the Madsen School Board Trustees was held on October 27, 1939. The board decided that all male residents in Madsen would be taxed $1/month to pay for the creation of the school. Students attended the Madsen School until the school closed in 1976. |
Red Lake sports day, 1939
The Balmertown School opened on the Dickenson Mines property in October 1946, with Margaret Stewart as the teacher. By 1949, a second schoolhouse opened on the Campbell Red Lake Mines property to deal with increased enrollment. The Campbell school taught grades 1-3 and the Dickenson School taught grades 4-8. A multi-room schoolhouse was constructed in Balmertown in 1950, bring the Balmertown School together under one roof.
The district's students participated in a variety of extracurricular activities during their time in the Red Lake education system. Throughout the year, the schools would get together for inter-school sports days. Students also participated in a variety of sports teams such as hockey, curling, baseball and basketball. In 1939, a group of Red Lake school children made a multi-day journey to Hudson/Sioux Lookout to see King George IV and Queen Elizabeth during their Canadian royal tour.
Many of the Red Lake community groups also used the Red Lake schools as community centres. Local groups used the space for meetings, church services, dances and plays. Many of the area's sports teams could also have been spotted using the school yards for practices in the evenings.
The district's students participated in a variety of extracurricular activities during their time in the Red Lake education system. Throughout the year, the schools would get together for inter-school sports days. Students also participated in a variety of sports teams such as hockey, curling, baseball and basketball. In 1939, a group of Red Lake school children made a multi-day journey to Hudson/Sioux Lookout to see King George IV and Queen Elizabeth during their Canadian royal tour.
Many of the Red Lake community groups also used the Red Lake schools as community centres. Local groups used the space for meetings, church services, dances and plays. Many of the area's sports teams could also have been spotted using the school yards for practices in the evenings.