Historic Sites of Manitoba: Ruska Rawa School No. 1260 (Municipality of Rossburn)

The Ruska Rawa School District was established formally in January 1904 and a one-room school building was erected on the southeast quarter of 20-20-23 west of the Principal Meridian in the Municipality of Rossburn. It operated from 1904 to 1952. A new school was built in 1952. It closed in June 1965. Only the building’s foundation remains at the site but a plaque erected in 1984 commemorates the school.

The teachers of Ruska Rawa School were Dmytro Wowk (1907-1912), Joseph Dyck (1912-1914), Nicholas Podworney (1914-1918), A. Burtniak (1918-1919), Basil Lazaruk (1919-1924, 1924-1925), Peter Mitenko (1924), William Yakemischak (1925), Grace Ferguson (1925), Stanley Humeney (1925-1928), Pauline M. Yankewicz (1928-1929), Francis Kurys (1929-1931), Anne Zubachek (1931-1936), Michael Tokar (1936-1939), Olga Hyrsak (1939-1941), William Sametz (1941-1942), Phyllis Chopp (1942-1943, 1957-1963), AnIle Dnistranski (1943-1945), Mike Bewza (1945-1946), Kate Twerdun (1946-1947), Phyllis Shunewick (1947-1948), Phyllis Zimmerman (1948), Mike  Charney (1948), Gwen Hullick (1948-1949), Pearl Borowski (1949-1950), Edward Strank (1950-1951), Morris Kowalchuk (1951-1952), Helen Choropita (1952-1953), Bernice Korolyk (1953), Joseph Zatylny (1954), Janet Sitko (1954-1955), Olga Wingerak (1955-1956), Carol Ewanson (1956-1957), Mrs. Dvorak (1963-1964), and Mrs. Jean Michalchuk (1964-1965).

Ruska Rawa School (no date) by J. W. Clarke Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs, GR8461, A0233, C131-2, page 87. Ruska Rawa School commemorative sign (June 2012) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Ruska Rawa School foundation (June 2012) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Site Coordinates (lat/long): N50.72752, W100.62832 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.

On the Sunny Slopes of the Riding Mountains, A History of Rossburn and District, Volume 1 by Rossburn History Club, 1984. [Manitoba Legislative Library, F5648.R78 Ont]

A Study of Public School Buildings in Manitoba by David Butterfield, Historic Resources Branch, Manitoba Department of Culture, Heritage and Tourism, 1994, 230 pages.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 11 February 2021

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