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The Purple Bank School District was organized formally in October 1891 and a log school building operated in the northern half of NE 33-1-6 East. This first schoolhouse was replaced with a wooden frame building around 1910 in Gardenton in the Municipality of Stuartburn. The structure was expanded in 1926 based upon the architectural designs of Gilbert C. Parfitt. In 1967, it became part of the Boundary School Division and continued operating until 1970. Later, no longer in use as a school, the building was converted into a private residence.
Period
Principal
1926
Florence Victoria McKnight Cameron (1903-1966)
1926-1927
Mildred C. Shatsky Cohen (1906-?)
1927
Teresa Demchuk (1904-1994)
1928
Lily A. Gillespie
1928-1929
Nellie Chorneyko
1929-1930
Grace Reykdal
1930-1931
John Boes Quinn (1894-?)
1931-1934
John Peter Tanchak (1905-1983)
1934
Hymie Litwack (c1906-1992)
1934-1935
Daniel Harry Dziuba [Juba] (1914-1993)
1935-1937
Sarah Ann Sproat (1885-1976)
1937-1940
Wolodimyr B. “Walter” Wachna (1909-1984)
1940-1941
Jessie Ostaff (1915-2005)
1941-1948
Peter Jacob Olchowecki (1911-2011)
1948-1949
Gordon Henry Wiebe (1928-2005)
1949-1953
Nicholas Bilash (1890-1961)
1953-1954
Nettie Bereziuk
1954-1958
Mytro “Tony” Onysko (1928-1992)
1958-1959
M. Koroscil
1959-1960
N. M. Podolsky
1960-1962
Frank John Gustaw
1962-1964
Walter George Chomiczuk
1964-1965
Edmond Hormidas Lacasse (1941-2021)
1965-1966
John Daniel Runke
1966-1967
Orest James Dykun
1967-1968
Kenneth Peter Allen Chura
1968-1970
?
Period
Teachers
1925-1926
Florence Victoria McKnight (grades 4-8, 1926), Louise Amelia Neilson (grades 1-7, 1925; grades 1-3, 1926)
1926-1927
Annie E. Bush (grades 1-3, 1927), Lily A. Gillespie (grades 1-3, 1926), Ann Mihaychuk (grades 1-3, 1926), Mildred C. Shatsky (grades 4-8)
1927-1928
Annie E. Bush (grades 1-3, 1927), Teresa Demchuk (grades 4-8, 1927), Lily A. Gillespie (grades 3-8, 1928)
1928-1929
Nellie Chorneyko (grades 4-8), Olga Chorneyko (grades 1-3)
1929-1930
Elizabeth Jean Parker (grades 1-3), John Boes Quinn (grades 4-9, 1930), Grace Reykdal (grades 4-9)
1930-1931
Mary Buzdygan (grades 1-4, 1930), John Boes Quinn (grades 4-9), Mary Solar (grades 1-4, 1931)
1931-1932
Dmytro Tanchak (grades 1-3), John Peter Tanchak (grades 4-9)
1932-1933
Dmytro Tanchak (grades 1-4), John Peter Tanchak (grades 5-11)
1933-1934
Dmytro Tanchak (grades 1-4), John Peter Tanchak (grades 5-10)
1934-1935
Daniel Harry [Juba] Dziuba (grades 5-10), H. Litwack (grades 5-9, 1934), Helen Mary Tanchak (grades 1-4)
1935-1936
Slawka Jean Harasym (grades 1-4), Fred Anthony Rekrut (grades 5-8), Sarah Ann Sproat (grades 9-11)
1936-1937
Slawka Jean Harasym (grades 1-4), Sarah Ann Sproat (grades 9-11), Walter B. Wachna (grades 5-8)
1937-1938
Slawka Jean Harasym (grades 5-8), Nathalia Mayowosky (grade 1-4, 1938), K. M. Tomick (grades 1-4, 1937), Walter B. Wachna (grades 9-11)
1938-1939
Nathalia Mayowosky (grade 1-4), Maurice I. Probzanski (grades 5-8), Walter B. Wachna (grades 9-11)
1939-1940
Jessie Ostaff (grades 1-4), Maurice I. Probzanski (grades 5-8), Walter B. Wachna (grades 9-11)
1940-1941
Jessie Ostaff (grades 9-11), Sonia Popowich (grades 1-4), Mathilde Presch (grades 5-8)
1941-1942
Emanuel Peter “Manuel” Tanchak (grades 5-8), Margaret Tanchak (grades 1-4), Peter Jacob Olchowecki (grades 9-11)
1942-1943
Emanuel Peter “Manuel” Tanchak (grades 5-8), Margaret Tanchak (grades 1-4), Peter Jacob Olchowecki (grades 9-11)
1943-1944
Emanuel Peter “Manuel” Tanchak (grades 5-8; grades 1-8, 1944), Margaret Tanchak (grades 1-4), Peter Jacob Olchowecki (grades 9-11)
1944-1945
Mary Kolton (grades 1-8), Peter Jacob Olchowecki (grades 9-11)
1945-1946
Mary Kolton (grades 1-8), Peter Jacob Olchowecki (grades 9-11), Anne Sokolyk (grades 1-4, 1946)
1946-1947
Peter Jacob Olchowecki (grades 9-11), Mary Wachna (grades 1-8)
1947-1948
Peter Jacob Olchowecki (grades 9-11), Mary Wachna (grades 1-8)
1948-1949
Mary Wachna (grades 1-8), Gordon Henry Wiebe (grades 9-11)
1949-1950
Mary Bilash (grades 1-8), Nicholas Bilash (grades 9-11)
1950-1951
Mary Bilash (grades 1-8), Nicholas Bilash (grades 9-11)
1951-1952
Mary Bilash (grades 4-8), Nicholas Bilash (grades 9-11), William Kosilnyk (grades 1-3)
1952-1953
Mary Bilash (grades 4-9), Nicholas Bilash (grades 9-11), Mary Koniak (grades 1-3)
1953-1954
Nettie Bereziuk (grades 9-12), Mary Koniak (grades 1-3), Nicholas Melnychuk (grades 4-8)
1954-1955
Mary Koniak (grades 4-8), Marjorie Onysko (grades 1-3), Mytro “Tony” Onysko (grades 9-12)
1955-1956
Mary Koniak (grades 4-8), Marjorie Onysko (grades 1-3), Mytro “Tony” Onysko (grades 9-12)
1956-1957
Helen Mae Clark (grades 1-3, 1957), Mary Koniak (grades 4-8), Marjorie Onysko (grades 1-3, 1956), Mytro “Tony” Onysko (grades 9-12)
1957-1958
Jean Gray (grades 1-4), Mary Koniak (grades 5-8), Mytro “Tony” Onysko (grades 9-12)
1958-1959
Kristin S. Benedictson (grades 1-4), Mary Koniak (grades 5-8), M. Koroscil (grades 9-11)
1959-1960
Kristin S. Benedictson (grades 1-4), Mary Koniak (grades 5-8), N. M. Podolsky (grades 9-11)
1960-1961
Walter George Chomiczuk (grades 5-8), Frank John Gustaw (grades 9-11), Bernice Olga Kozak (grades 1-4)
1961-1962
Walter George Chomiczuk (grades 5-8), Frank John Gustaw (grades 9-11), Olivia Ann Kolodzinski (grades 1-4)
1962-1963
Joyce Louise Amy (grades 1-4), Walter George Chomiczuk (grades 9-11), Edward Vincent Domaratzki (grades 5-8)
1963-1964
Walter George Chomiczuk (grades 9-11), Mina Carol Critchley (grades 1-4), Sonia Podolsky (grades 5-8)
1964-1965
Jeanette Eliuk (grades 1-4), Edmond Hormidas Lacasse (grades 9-11), Sonia Podolsky (grades 5-8)
1965-1966
Connie Dzaman (grades 1-4), Pauline Nedohin (grades 5-8), John Daniel Runke (grades 9-11)
1966-1967
Orest James Dykun (grades 5-8), Pauline Nedohin (grades 1-4)
1967-1968
Kenneth Peter Allen Chura (grades 7-8), Helen Kozachenko (grades 5-6), ? (other grades)
1968-1969
Eva Bially (grades 3-4), Helen Kozachenko (grades 5-6), Pauline Nedohin (grades 1-2)
1969-1970
Eva Bially (grades 3-4), Helen Kozachenko (grades 5-6), Pauline Nedohin (grades 1-2)
Among the teachers of Purple Bank School were J. W. Zaban [Czaban] (1906, 1909-1910), Michael Barran (1907), P. B. Chaykowski (1907), J. M. Mysyk (1908-1911-1914), Violet Drelenkicwiez? Smook (1908-1909), Peter S. Sankey (1915), Alma Neilly (1915), Elspeth A. Moffatt (1916), Amy Wier (1917), Violet S. Taylor (1917), Mollie Weinberg (1918), Winnifred D. Boughton (1918-1919), Katherine Wachna (1919-1920), Maria Wachna (1920), Anton P. Dolensky (1921), William Andrew “Bill” Kachur (1921), Anselina Stromquist (1922), Mr. E. G. Christilan (1922), Achsah G. Rogers (1923), Margaret Clossick (1923), Alfred E. Williams (1924), C. S. Sharpe (1924-1925), and Ivan L. Hamilton (1925).
Purple Bank School (no date) by A. A. Herriot
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs,
GR8461, A0233, C131-1, page 108.
Purple Bank School (no date) by A. A. Herriot
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs,
GR8461, A0233, C131-1, page 108.Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.08908, W96.69682
denoted by symbol on the map above
School District Formation Files [Purple Bank School District No. 682], GR1688, E0027, Archives of Manitoba.
Annual Reports of the Manitoba Department of Education, Manitoba Legislative Library.
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.
A Study of Public School Buildings in Manitoba by David Butterfield, Historic Resources Branch, Manitoba Department of Culture, Heritage and Tourism, 1994, 230 pages.
Manitoba School Records Collection, Purple Bank School No. 682 Daily Registers, GR2088, Archives of Manitoba.
Plans and shop drawings (GS 0100), Purple Bank School - Addition, GR3125, Archives of Manitoba.
School division half-yearly attendance reports (E 0757), Archives of Manitoba.
We thank Don Machnee and Brian Nedohin for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer and Gordon Goldsborough
Page revised: 29 January 2022
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