Historic Sites of Manitoba: Wisla School No. 1373 / Prince of Wales School No. 1373 (Wisla, Municipality of Harrison Park)

Known originally as the Wisla School District when it was established in April 1906, the district was renamed Prince of Wales School between September and December 1921. A one-room schoolhouse operated at SE1-19-22W in what is now the Municipality of Harrison Park. In September 1921, $3,500 in debentures were secured to finance the construction of a new schoolhouse, with the district potentially renamed to correspond with the schools opening later that same term.

In 1963, the district was dissolved and its area was added to the Elphinstone Consolidated School District. Its catchment area later became part of the Pelly Trail School Division. At the time of a 2014 site visit, the former school building was gone but the former teacherage was being used as a private residence. A commemorative sign was near the school site, partially obscured by bushes.

Among the teachers who worked at Wisla School / Prince of Wales School were P. B. Chaykowski (Fall 1909), Boleslarus? Hutarevig? (Spring 1910), Michael Bilinski (Fall 1910), Did not operate (Spring 1911), George Szkwarok (Fall 1911), John Swyryd (Spring 1912), Michael Nowosad (Fall 1912), John Rudayek? (Spring 1913), Nicholas Boychuk (Fall 1913 - Spring 1914), Did not operate (Fall 1914), J. Sieracki (Spring 1915), Did not operate (Fall 1915), Stanley Mazur (Spring 1916 - Spring 1917), Mr. E. Mykytuik (Fall 1917 - Fall 1921), Jacob Hlady (Spring 1921 & September 1921 - April 1922), Crawford Rose (May-June, 1922), J. M. Panisiak (Fall 1922 - pt Fall 1924), Walter Fahrig (pt Fall 1924 - Spring 1927), W. Meloski (pt Fall 1927), Marilla F. Whitmore (pt Fall 1927 - Fall 1929), Robert Octavius Picken “Barney” Bolton (Spring 1930 - Spring 1931), John Duchominsky (Fall 1931 - Spring 1942), Bertha V. Keller Kwiatkowski (Spring 1942 - Fall 1946, wife of J. M. Kwiatkowski), Walter Nowosad (Spring 1947), Lesia [Lecia?] Krysowaty (Fall 1946 - Spring 1948), William J. Sianchuk (Fall 1948 - Spring 1949), William Ernest Stefaniuk (Fall 1949 - Spring 1950), Mrs. Anne Zibrowski (Fall 1950 - Spring 1951), John Zurbyk (Fall 1951 - Spring 1952), Laurence A. Kwiatkowski (Fall 1952 - Spring 1953), Stanley Kokorudz (Fall 1953 - Spring 1956), Angeline B. Nakonechny (Fall 1956 - Spring 1959), Isabel Strank (Fall 1959 - Spring 1960), and John Spak (Fall 1960 - Spring 1962).

The Prince of Wales School site (circa 1935) Source: Education Department Report, 1935, Manitoba Legislative Library. Prince of Wales School with its teacherage in the background at left (no date) by J. W. Clarke Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs, GR8461, A0233, C131-2, page 107. Prince of Wales School commemorative sign (May 2014) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Site Coordinates (lat/long): N50.59457, W100.39267 denoted by symbol on the map above

Sources:

Elphinstone West topographic map, 62K/9 West, Edition 1, Series A743 [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.

From the Past to the Present, 1898-1987 by Parkland Ukrainian Pioneer Association, circa 1988. [Legislative Library of Manitoba, Rare Book Collection F5648.P36 Fro]

Summative half-yearly returns for school districts (A 0051), GR0571, Archives of Manitoba.

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

Manitoba School Records Collection, Prince of Wales School District #1373 - Daily Registers, GR2061, Archives of Manitoba.

Geographic Names of Manitoba, Manitoba Conservation, 2000.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Nathan Kramer.

Page revised: 27 June 2022

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