Historic Sites of Manitoba: Pine Creek School No. 1360 / Piney Municipal School (Piney, RM of Piney)

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

The Pine Creek School District was established in February 1906 and a one-room schoolhouse operated in Piney in the Rural Municipality of Piney. A second classroom was added in 1928. It became part of the Piney Municipal School District in 1936. A new, three-classroom school was constructed in 1950 but it was destroyed by fire on 2 January 1952. While a replacement could be built, classes were held in the church, hall, medical clinic, and municipal office. Construction of the present structure was completed by September 1952. By 1960, with an enrollment of 130 students, and high school students arriving from the Whitemouth Lake, Burns, and Vassar areas, the building was already too small so an old one-room schoolhouse was brought into town for additional classroom space. An addition was made to this building in late 1963. Five years later, the school district was dissolved and the school became part of the Boundary School Division.

Starting in 1971, students in grades 7 to 12 were bused to Shevchenko Collegiate in Vita while those in grades 1 to 6 remained at Piney. By 1996, all Piney children went to Vita. A local Hutterite Colony used the now-vacant building for two years until their own school could be constructed. It closed permanently in 1998 and the building is now privately owned. A monument erected in front of the former school building in 2004 by the Piney History Book Committee commemorates the schools that consolidated to form the Piney Municipal School: Birchlawn School No. 2111, Evergreen School No. 1599, Hungarian School No. 1662, Menisino School No. 1582, Pine Creek School No. 1360, Pine Valley School No. 1168, Spurgrave School No. 1469, and Wintergreen School No. 2118. Other schools that formed part of the Piney Municipal School system were Overton School No. 1663 and Acland School No. 2214.

Principals

Period	Principal
1938-1941	Thelma Jean Grey Fanning
1942	Edgar Burgess (1867-1954)
1942-1944	Emma Ada Schiebe Gilchrist (1917-2004)
1944-1945	John Nathan Robert Clark (1912-1990)
1945-1946	Ruth Amanda Harms Mills
1946-1947	Glen Borden Cowan
1947-1949	Gisele M. Ruel
1949-1951	Joseph Charles Flood (1924-2009)
1951-1952	Frank John Gustaw
1952-1953	Roy Kenneth Anderson
1953-1955	Florence Mary Richtik Brooks (1930-1999)
1955-1956	Peter J. Loewen
1956-1966	Frank Steve Senkow (1926-2017)
1966-1969	Barry Hayward Clarkson
1969-1971	John M. Giesbrecht
1971-1988	Inette Joice Asmundson

Teachers

Among the early teachers of Pine Creek School were Ingihad Markusson (1906-1907), Mindy Gislason (1907-1908), Jennie Johnson (1908-1909), Thorum Thorakson (1909-1911), Ingiborg Bjornson (1909-1910), Emilie Palmason (1911-1912), Sarah Holland (1912-1914), John de Bedick Saunderson (1914-1915), H. McKillop (1914-1915), W. J. King (1915-1916), Oli Olason (1916-1917), H. Peterson (1916-1917), Elizabeth Kempton (1917-1918), Magnea Einarson (1918-1919), Leana Booke (1919-1920), Andrea Holmfridur Anderson Eyford (Fall 1920 - Spring 1922, March-June 1923, & Fall 1924 - Spring 1925), Clement Moncreiff Avery Jones (August 1922 - March 1923), Philip M. Petursson (Fall 1923 - Spring 1924), H. Sigurdson (1925-1927), and Amy Nisbett (1927-1928).

Period	Teachers
1928-1929	May Borley, Mildred McLaren
1929-1930	Margaret Goodman, Mildred McLaren
1930-1931	Margaret Goodman, I. Robertson
1931-1932	Margaret Goodman, Helen Stenhouse
1932-1933	Helen Stenhouse, Alice Wardrop
1933-1934	Alice Wardrop, June Wardrop
1934-1935	Austin Dale, June Wardrop
1935-1936	Austin Dale, Lila B. Ellis
1936-1937	Austin Dale, Lila B. Ellis
1937-1938	Lila B. Ellis, Thelma Jean Grey
1938-1939	Olaf Arnason, Thelma Jean Grey
1939-1940	Thelma Jean Grey, Christine MacDonald
1940-1941	Thelma Jean Gray (grades 7-10), Christina MacDonald (grades 1-6)
1941-1942	Margaret Ann Baragar (grades 1-6, pt. Spring), Gertrude Marie Barnes (grades 1-6, Fall - pt. Spring), Edgar Burgess (grades 7-11, Spring), Thelma Jean Fanning (grades 7-11, Fall)
1942-1943	Alma Clara Schiebe (grades 1-6), Emma Ada Schiebe (grades 7-11)
1943-1944	Alma Clara Schiebe (grades 1-6), Emma Ada Schiebe (grades 7-11)
1944-1945	John Nathan Robert Clark (grades 7-11), Myrtle Rusenel (grades 1-6)
1945-1946	Andrea Holmfridur Anderson Eyford (grades 1-6, Spring), Ruth Amanda Mills (grades 7-11), Myrtle Rusenel (grades 1-6, Fall)
1946-1947	Glen Borden Cowan (grades 7-11), Catherine M. Vincent (grades 1-6)
1947-1948	Irene Ruel (grades 1-7), Gisele M. Ruel (grades 7-11)
1948-1949	Irene Ruel (grades 1-7), Gisele M. Ruel (grades 7-11)
1949-1950	Shiela Mary Demphill (grades 5-8), Maria Montez (grades 1-4), Joseph Charles Flood (grades 9-11)
1950-1951	Tena Fleming (grades 1-4), Joseph Charles Flood (grades 9-11), Sheila Mary Jessie Norman (grades 5-8)
1951-1952	Tena Fleming (grades 1-4), Frank John Gustaw (grades 10-11), Sheila Mary Jessie Norman (grades 5-8)
1952-1953	Roy Kenneth Anderson (grades 9-11), Jean Pawluk (grade 5-8), Tanis Clara Sigurjonsson (grades 1-4)
1953-1954	Florence Mary Richtik Brooks (grades 9-11), Jean Pawluk (grade 5-8), Tanis Clara Sigurjonsson (grades 1-4)
1954-1955	Florence Mary Richtik Brooks (grades 9-11), Kate Klassen (grades 5-8), Mary Myrowich (grades 1-4)
1955-1956	Kate Klassen (grades 5-8), Nettie Loewen (grades 1-4), Peter J. Loewen (grades 9-12)
1956-1957	Anita DeCaire (grades 1-4), Metro Joseph Muzyka (grades 5-8), Frank Senkow (grades 9-11)
1957-1958	Ann Lally (grades 1-4), Sheila Mary Jessie Norman (grades 5-8), Frank Senkow (grades 9-11)
1958-1959	Doris Olive Hovorka (grades 1-4), Marvin Wallace Hovorka (grades 5-8), Sheila Mary Jessie Norman (grades 9-10), Frank Senkow (grades 11-12)
1959-1960	Doris Olive Hovorka (grades 1-4), Marvin Wallace Hovorka (grades 5-8), Sheila Mary Jessie Norman (grades 9-10), Frank Senkow (grades 11-12)
1960-1961	Doris Olive Hovorka (grades 1-4), Marvin Wallace Hovorka (grades 5-8), Sheila Mary Jessie Norman (grades 9-10), Frank Senkow (grades 11-12)
1961-1962	Inette Joice Asmundson (grades 1-2), Maureen Anne Fennell (grades 3-5), Doris Olive Hovorka (grades 6-8), Sheila Mary Jessie Norman (grades 9-10), Frank Senkow (grades 11-12)
1962-1963	Locklyn Glen Aitken (grade 9), Lillian Ann Anderson (grades 6-8), Inette Joice Asmundson (grades 1-2), Sheila Mary Jessie Norman (grade 10), Mary Jullia Sawka (grades 3-5), Frank Senkow (grades 11-12)
1963-1964	Locklyn Glen Aitken (grade 9), Inette Joice Asmundson (grades 1-3), Mary Jullia Sawka Kwiatkowski (grades 4-6), Sheila Mary Jessie Norman (grade 10), Lancelot William Stephens (grades 7-8), Frank Senkow (grades 11-12)
1964-1965	Inette Joice Asmundson (grades 1-3), Mary Jullia Sawka Kwiatkowski (grades 4-6), Sheila Mary Jessie Norman (grade 10), Mary Jane Rampersad (grade 9), William John Sawka (grades 6-8, August-December), Frank Senkow (grades 11-12), Claude Hector Marcel Valcourt (grades 6-8, January-June)
1965-1966	Inette Joice Asmundson (grades 1-3), Peter Richard Osborne Crowley (grade 9, January-June), Doris Olive Hovorka (grade 9, August-December), Mary Jullia Sawka Kwiatkowski (grades 4-6), Sheila Mary Jessie Norman (grade 10), Robert William Preston (grades 6-8), Frank Senkow (grades 11-12)
1966-1967	Inette Joice Asmundson (grades 3-4, September-June), Barry Hayward Clarkson (grades 11-12), Loretta Darlene Clarkson (grades 5-6), William George Cooper (grade 9), Diane Cote (grades 3-4, September), John M. Giesbrecht (grades 7-8), Sheila Mary Jessie Norman (grade 10), Hilda Marion Thibodeau (grades 1-2)
1967-1968	Inette Joice Asmundson (grade 3), Barry Hayward Clarkson (grade 10), Loretta Darlene Clarkson (grades 5-6), William George Cooper (grade 7), John M. Giesbrecht (grade 8), Sheila Mary Jessie Norman (grade 9), Hilda Marion Thibodeau (grades 1-2)
1968-1969	Inette Joice Asmundson (grades 1-2), Barry Hayward Clarkson (grades 7-8), Loretta Darlene Clarkson (grades 3-4), John M. Giesbrecht (grade 5-6)
1969-1970	Inette Joice Asmundson (grades 1-2), Mavis Marlene Asmundson (grades 3-4), John M. Giesbrecht (grades 5-6), Harold Mills
1970-1971	Inette Joice Asmundson (grades 1-2), John M. Giesbrecht (grades 5-6), Darlene Bolin Illchuk? Johansson (grades 3-4)
1971-1972	Inette Joice Asmundson (grades 1-3), Darlene Bolin Johansson (grades 4-6)
1972-1973	Inette Joice Asmundson (grades 1-3), Darlene Bolin Johansson (grades 4-6)
1973-1974	Inette Joice Asmundson (grades 1-3), Darlene Bolin Johansson (grades 4-6)
1974-1975	Inette Joice Asmundson (grades 1-3), Darlene Bolin Johansson (grades 4-6), Enid Marie Swaine (no grades)
1975-1976	Inette Joice Asmundson, Darlene Bolin Johansson, Enid Marie Swaine
1976-1977	Inette Joice Asmundson, Darlene Bolin Johansson, Enid Marie Swaine
1977-1978	Inette Joice Asmundson, Darlene Bolin Johansson, Enid Marie Swaine
1978-1979	Inette Joice Asmundson, Darlene Bolin Johansson, Enid Marie Swaine
1979-1980	Inette Joice Asmundson, Darlene Bolin Johansson, Enid Marie Swaine
1980-1981	Inette Joice Asmundson, Darlene Bolin Johansson, Denise Lubiansky, Enid Marie Swaine
1981-1982	Inette Joice Asmundson, Darlene Bolin Johansson, Denise Lubiansky, Enid Marie Swaine
1982-1983	Inette Joice Asmundson, Darlene Bolin Johansson, Denise Lubiansky, Enid Marie Swaine
1983-1984	Inette Joice Asmundson, Darlene Bolin Johansson, Denise Lubiansky, Enid Marie Swaine
1984-1985	Inette Joice Asmundson, Darlene Bolin Johansson, Denise Lubiansky, Enid Marie Swaine
1985-1986	Inette Joice Asmundson, Darlene Bolin Johansson
1986-1987	Inette Joice Asmundson, Darlene Bolin Johansson
1987-1988	Inette Joice Asmundson, Darlene Bolin Johansson

Photos & Coordinates

The original Pine Creek School with the second classroom at right (no date) by Clarence Moore Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs, GR8461, A0233, C131-2, page 104. The former Piney Municipal School building with a commemorative monument on the grounds in front of it (September 2013) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Pine Creek School commemorative monument (September 2013) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.07633, W95.97921 denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Piney Municipal Office (Piney, RM of Piney)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Pine Creek Indian Residential School / Camperville Indian Residential School (Pine Creek First Nation)

Manitoba Organization: Pine Creek School Division No. 30

Sources:

Manitoba School Records Collection, Pine Creek School District No. 1360 Daily Registers, GR4095, Archives of Manitoba.

Manitoba School Records Collection, Pine Creek School District No. 1360 Daily Registers, GR2088, Archives of Manitoba.

School division half-yearly attendance reports (E 0757), Archives of Manitoba.

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.

Pine Valley Echoes: A History of Badger, Menisino and Piney by Piney Area History Book Committee, 1988. [Manitoba Legislative Library, F5648.P55Pin]

We thank Doris Hovorka (Sprague and District Historical Museum) and Margaret “Peggy” Sanders for providing information used here.

This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer and Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 11 May 2023

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