Historic Sites of Manitoba: Damery School No. 991 (Municipality of Ethelbert)

The Damery School District was established in January 1899 and, the following year, a wood frame school building was constructed at SE27-29-22W in the Rural Municipality of Ethelbert. It operated at this site until 1950 when a new building was constructed a half-mile away, at NW23-29-22W. After the school closed in 1957, the building was moved near the original site, at N51.50763, W100.46189, where it was used for a workshop. A metal sign marks each location where Damery School operated through the years.

Among the teachers of Damery School were N. Lubiniecki (1930-1931), Michael Syrnyk (1931-1934), Michael H. Dudar (1936-1939), William H. Dudar (1939-1945), Dottie Gnazdowski (1945-1946), Manuel G. Karpiak (1946-1947), Orysia Syrnyk (1947-1948), Olga Merko (1948-1952), Olive Pachkowski (1952-1953), Doris Chmelowski (1953-1954), Roxie Podolsky (1954-1955), Anne Frankoff (1955-1956), Rose Yaskiw (1956-1967), Michael Reichenhaller (1957-1961, 1966-1967), Peter Rudy (1961-1965), and Orest Kulchycki (1965-1966).

The first Damery School building

The first Damery School building (no date) by J. S. Peach
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs,
GR8461, A0233, C131-2, page 36.

The second Damery School building, used as a workshop at N51.51299, W100.46456

The second Damery School building, used as a workshop at N51.51299, W100.46456 (July 2013)
Source: Alan Mason

Commemorative sign at the first site, from 1900 to 1950, of Damery School

Commemorative sign at the first site, from 1900 to 1950, of Damery School (July 2013)
Source: Alan Mason

Commemorative sign at the second site, from 1950 to 1957, of Damery School at N51.50763, W100.46189

Commemorative sign at the second site, from 1950 to 1957, of Damery School at N51.50763, W100.46189 (July 2013)
Source: Alan Mason

Site Coordinates (lat/long): N51.51383, W100.46344
denoted by symbol on the map above

Sources:

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.

The Ties That Bind: A History of Ethelbert and District by Ethelbert History Book Committee, 1985, page 47.

This page was prepared by Alan Mason and Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 21 March 2021

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