Historic Sites of Manitoba: St. Laurent School No. 1416 / St. Laurent Village School / St. Laurent Elementary School (St. Laurent, RM of St. Laurent)

Link to:
Principals (St. Laurent School / St. Laurent Village School / St. Laurent Elementary School) | Teachers (St. Laurent School / St. Laurent Village School / St. Laurent Elementary School) | Principals (St. Laurent High School) | Teachers (St. Laurent High School) | Photos & Coordinates | Sources

A school was opened at the St. Laurent Mission as early as 1862, with a formalized school setting founded here in 1870. In 1875, a new schoolhouse was built with lumber hauled via cart from Winnipeg. That structure served the surrounding community until 1902 when it was replaced with a new dual-use facility. In 1888, a second school was opened within the south end of the parish (which later became the Simonet School District No. 843). This site at the village of St. Laurent was established formally as the St. Laurent School District No. 1416 around 1895, with its delayed numerical designation on account of governance of schools originally being split the previously-separate Protestant and Catholic school boards. When the Province converted over from the dual parochial school board model over to the singular Department of Education, that in turn began the process of incorporating Catholic schools within the previously Protestant-only school indexing of school districts, resulting in districts of the Catholic school board being slotted in with assigned district numbers not otherwise representative of their operational origin. The Sisters of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary arrived here in September 1897.

In 1902, the 1875-built school was replaced with a new structure built by James Sinclair. This three-storey stone building (with basement) was located south of the earlier building and served as both school and convent that was further expanded with an addition in 1912. Over the years, as many as 11 classrooms were used concurrently and would remain an active school site with the district renting classroom space from the Franciscan Order for the following decades.

In 1936, the St. Laurent Municipal School District No. 1416 was created; this new amalgamation adding Laronde School No. 1688, Bluff Island School No. 597, Simonet School No. 843, and Ideal School No. 1453 under a single administration while continuing to operate schools across multiple formerly-independent sites. Around this time, St. Laurent School also became known as the St. Laurent Village School (later St. Laurent Elementary), to help distinguish it from the other sites operated by the municipal school district otherwise of the same name. A high school was opened in 1939 and replaced with a new collegiate structure in 1961. The municipal school district arrangement remained until 1967 when its catchment was dissolved into the White Horse Plain School Division.

In 1970, use of this building for grade-school education was discontinued with the opening of the new elementary grade facility at the site to the St. Laurent Collegiate. This site was re-opened in July 1970 as the Louis Riel Industrial Park. The building was later demolished.

Principals (St. Laurent School / St. Laurent Village School / St. Laurent Elementary School)

Period

Principal

1899-1914

?

1914-1934

Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (1887-?)

1934-1936

Catharine Mary Halloran [Sister Marie Paule Gambora]

1936-1947

Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (1887-?)

1947-1948

Alice Mary Audette [Sister Marie de St. Magnile]

1948-1964

Sister Marie de St. Magnile

1964-1965

Sister Marie Gertrude Alice [M. Margeuritte Gertrude Audette]

1965-1966

Alice Mary Audette [Sister Marie de St. Magnile]

1966-1967

?

1967-1969

Jacqueline Marie Berthe Lalonde [Sister M. de St. Bonaventure]

1969-1970

Marie Gertrude Alice [Sister M. Margeuritte Gertrude Audette]

After 1970

see St. Laurent Elementary / St. Laurent School

Teachers (St. Laurent School / St. Laurent Village School / St. Laurent Elementary School)

Among the early teachers of St. Laurent School were Brother Jeremiah N. J. Mulvihill (1870-c1891) and Father McCarthy (several months, c1870s). Later staff would include Alfred “Fred” Fortier (?-?).

Period

Teachers

1894

Hernarl? Chartrand (Spring), A. De Larosede? (Spring), ? (Fall)

1895

records not available

1896

records not available

1897

Mother Mary Reparata (Fall), Mother Mary Stella (Fall), ? records not available

1898

records not available

1899

Mother Mary Reparata, Mother Mary Stella, M. Archangela

1900

Georgina A. Blais (Fall), Florentine Dorval (Spring), Phelouise A. Fortier (Fall), Stella Golden (Spring), Georgianna Gaudrault (Fall), Marie Louise V. Saray? (Spring)

1901

Georgina A. Blais, Phelouise A. Fortier, Georgianna Gaudrault

1902

records not available

1903

records not available

1904

records not available

1905

Phelouise A. Fortier, Caroline Fouroud? (Spring), Georgianna Gaudrault

1906

Maggie Duff, Phelouise A. Fortier, Georgianna Gaudrault (Spring), Marie Louise Vaillencourt (Fall)

1907

Maggie Duff, Phelouise A. Fortier, Marie Louise Vaillencourt

1908

Maggie Duff, Phelouise A. Fortier, Marie Louise Vaillencourt

1909

Maggie Duff, Phelouise A. Fortier, Marie Louise Vaillencourt

1910

Maggie Duff, Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (Fall), Phelouise A. Fortier (Spring), Marie Louise Vaillencourt

1911

Maggie Duff, Mary Ellen Fitzgerald, Marie Louise Vaillencourt

1912

(January-June only): Maggie Duff, Mary Ellen Fitzgerald, Marie Louise Vaillencourt

1912-1913

A. G. Blais, Mary Ellen Fitzgerald, Georgianna Gaudrault

1913-1914

A. G. Blais, Mary Ellen Fitzgerald, Georgianna Gaudrault

1914-1915

A. G. Blais (grades 3-5), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 6-8), Georgianna Gaudrault (grades 1-2)

1915-1916

A. G. Blais (grades 3-5), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 6-10), Georgianna Gaudrault (grades 1-2)

1916-1917

A. G. Blais (grades 3-4), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 5-9), Georgianna Gaudrault (grades 1-2, September-December), M. A. Labelle (grades 1-2, January-June)

1917-1918

A. G. Blais (grades 3-4, September-December; grades 2-4, January-June), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 5-10), M. A. Labelle (grade 1)

1918-1919

A. G. Blais (grades 2-4), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 5-10, September-December; grades 7-10, January-June), Anita Gosselin (grades 5-6, January-June), M. A. Labelle (grade 1)

1919-1920

A. G. Blais (grades 2-4, September-December; grades 2-3, January-June), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 7-10), Anita Gosselin (grades 5-6, September-December), M. A. Labelle (grade 1), Marie Strumpfler (grades 4-6, January-June)

1920-1921

Leontine Boisvert (grades 1-2), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 8-10), Marie Strumpfler (grades 3-4), Joan M. Sullivan (grades 5-7)

1921-1922

Leontine Boisvert (grades 1-2), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 8-10), Marie Strumpfler (grades 3-4), Joan M. Sullivan (grades 5-7)

1922-1923

Leontine Boisvert (grade 1), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 8-11), Joan M. Sullivan (grades 5-7), Agnes M. Willman (grades 2-4)

1923-1924

A. G. Blais (grades 2-3, January-June), Leontine Boisvert (grade 1), Marie Rose Duford (grades 2-4, ?-December [pt Fall]), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 8-11), Joan M. Sullivan (grades 5-7), Agnes M. Willman (grades 2-4, September-? [pt Fall])

1924-1925

A. G. Blais (grades 2-4), Leontine Boisvert (grades 1-2, September-? [pt Fall]), M. A. Cutler (grades 1-2, ?-December [pt Fall]), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 8-10, September-December; grades 8-11, January; grades 1-2, February-June), Joan M. Sullivan (grades 5-7, September-January; grades 5-11, February-June)

1925-1926

A. G. Blais (grades 2-4), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 1-2), Joan M. Sullivan (grades 5-9)

1926-1927

A. G. Blais (grades 2-4), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 1-2), Joan M. Sullivan (grades 5-9)

1927-1928

A. G. Blais (grades 3-5), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 6-9), Joan M. Sullivan (grades 1-2)

1928-1929

A. G. Blais (grades 3-5), Leontine Boisvert (grades 1-2), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 6-9)

1929-1930

A. G. Blais (grades 3-5), Leontine Boisvert (grades 1-2), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 7-10)

1930-1931

Leontine Boisvert (grades 1-2), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 6-10), Catharine Mary Halloran [Sister Marie Paule Gambora] (grades 3-5)

1931-1932

Leontine Boisvert (grades 1-2), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 6-10), Catharine Mary Halloran [Sister Marie Paule Gambora] (grades 3-5)

1932-1933

Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 5-8), Catharine Mary Halloran [Sister Marie Paule Gambora] (grades 2-4), Mary Pauline Mercier (grade 1)

1933-1934

Marie Adeline Cantin [Sister Marie Fideline] (grade 1), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 5-8), Catharine Mary Halloran [Sister Marie Paule Gambora] (grades 2-4)

1934-1935

Marie Adeline Cantin [Sister Marie Fideline] (grade 1), Catharine Mary Halloran [Sister Marie Paule Gambora] (grades 5-8), Mary Pauline Mercier (grades 2-4)

1935-1936

Marie Adeline Cantin [Sister Marie Fideline] (grade 1), Catharine Mary Halloran [Sister Marie Paule Gambora] (grades 5-9), Mary Pauline Mercier (grades 2-4)

1936-1937

Marie Adeline Cantin [Sister Marie Fideline] (grade 1), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 5-10), Mary Pauline Mercier (grades 2-4)

1937-1938

Marie Adeline Cantin [Sister Marie Fideline] (grade 1), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 6-9), Catharine Mary Halloran [Sister Marie Paule Gambora] (grades 3-5), Mary Pauline Mercier (grade 2 & ungraded)

1938-1939

Marie Adeline Cantin [Sister Marie Fideline] (grade 1), Mary Pauline Mercier (grade 2), ? (grades 3-4), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 5-10)

1939-1940

Amanda Georgina Blair (grades 3-4), Marie Adeline Cantin [Sister Marie Fideline] (grade 1), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 5 & 7-8), Catharine Mary Halloran [Sister Marie Paule Gambora] (grades 9-11), Mary Pauline Mercier (grade 2),

1940-1941

Marie Adeline Cantin [Sister Marie Fideline] (grade 1), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 5-8), Catharine Mary Halloran [Sister Marie Paule Gambora] (grades 9-12), Bertille Hayes (grades 3-4), Mary Pauline Mercier (grade 2)

1941-1942

Marie Adeline Cantin [Sister Marie Fideline] (grade 1), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 5-8), Catharine Mary Halloran [Sister Marie Paule Gambora] (grades 9-11), Bertille Hayes (grades 3-4), Mary Pauline Mercier (grade 2),

1942-1943

Marie Adeline Cantin [Sister Marie Fideline] (grade 1), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 5-8), Catharine Mary Halloran [Sister Marie Paule Gambora] (grades 9-10), Bertille Hayes (grades 3-4), Mary Pauline Mercier (grade 2)

1943-1944

Alice Mary Audette [Sister Marie de St. Magnile] (grades 5-7), Marie Adeline Cantin [Sister Marie Fideline] (grade 1), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 7-8), Bertille Hayes (grades 3-4), Mary Pauline Mercier (grade 2)

1944-1945

Alice Mary Audette [Sister Marie de St. Magnile] (grades 5-6), Marie Adeline Cantin [Sister Marie Fideline] (grades 3-4), Marie Jeane Dion [Sister Mary Olive] (grade 1), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 7-8), Mary Pauline Mercier (grade 2)

1945-1946

Rose Claire Colliou (grades 9-11), Marie Adeline Cantin [Sister Marie Fideline] (grades 4-5), Marie Jeane Dion [Sister Mary Olive] (grade 1), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 6-8), Mary Pauline Mercier (grades 2-3), Therese M. Tetrault (grade 1, substitute), ?

1946-1947

Alice Mary Audette [Sister Marie de St. Magnile] (grades 9-12), Georgette Blanchet (grade 1), Marie Adeline Cantin [Sister Marie Fideline] (grades 5-8), Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 3-4), Mary Pauline Mercier (grades 1-2)

1947-1948

Alice Mary Audette [Sister Marie de St. Magnile] (grades 9-12), Marie Adeline Cantin [Sister Marie Fideline] (grades 7-8), Sister Marie de Ste. Florida (grades 5-6), Roxane Jarey? [Sister Marie Robertine] (grade 1), Julie Anne Labossiere (grades 3-4), Sister Marie Noelline (grade 1), Lucille Ridfel? (Sister Marie de St. Previl] (grade 2)

1948-1949

?

1949-1950

?

1950-1951

?

1951-1952

?

1952-1953

?

1953-1954

?

1954-1955

?

1955-1956

?

1956-1957

?

1957-1958

?

1958-1959

?

1959-1960

Leo Blanchette (grade 2), Sister Florence Buors (grade 3), Marie Adeline Cantin [Sister Marie Fideline] (grade 4), Collette Garand (ungraded), Lise Desgroseilliers (grade 6), Madeleine Prefontaine (grade 5), Sister Madeleine Regnier (ungraded), Lorraine Smith (grades 7-8)

1960-1961

Sister Carmelle Cote (grade 2), Marie Adeline Cantin [Sister Marie Fideline] (grade 4), Lise Desgroseilliers (grade 6), Collette Garand (ungraded), Juliette Granger (grade 3), Norman Grywinski (grades 7-8), Fernande Mercier (ungraded), Madeleine Prefontaine (grade 5), Sister Madeleine Regnier (ungraded)

1961-1962

Marie Gertrude Alice [Sister M. Margeuritte Gertrude Audette] (ungraded), Sister Georgette Boulanger (grades 1-2), Paul Chartrand (grade 6), Marie Adeline Cantin [Sister Marie Fideline] (grade 4), Juliette Granger (grade 3), Sister Denise Guevremont (grade 1), Benjamin P. Kubrakovich (grades 7-8), Fernande Mercier (ungraded), Maria Payment (grade 5)

1962-1963

Marie Gertrude Alice [Sister M. Margeuritte Gertrude Audette] (ungraded), Irene Yvonne Bourdin (grade 3), Marie Adeline Cantin [Sister Marie Fideline] (grade 4), Sister Denise Guevremont (grade 1), Benjamin P. Kubrakovich (grades 7-8), Sister Georgette Boulanger (grades 1-2), Annie Menard (grade 5), Fernande Mercier (ungraded), Anna Toupin (grade 6)

1963-1964

Marie Gertrude Alice [Sister M. Margeuritte Gertrude Audette] (ungraded), Sister Denise Guevremont (grade 1), Oleh Eugene Gulay (grade 3), Sister Georgette Boulanger (grades 1-2), Kenneth Louis Mansell (grades 7-8), Sister M. Jacinthe du St. Rosaire [Aline Pakenham] (ungraded), Yolande Rheault, Anna Toupin (grade 6), Sister Jeannine Vallee (grade 4)

1964-1965

Marie Gertrude Alice [Sister M. Margeuritte Gertrude Audette] (grades 1-3, special education), Sister M. Emilie de la Croix [M. Georgette B. Boulanger] (grade 1), Paul Chartrand (grade 6), Madeline Irene Basset Bernard (grades 4-5, August-December), Jeannette Dufault (grades 4-5, January-June), Marie Adeline Cantin [Sister Marie Fideline] (grade 3), Oleh Eugene Gulay (grade 7), Sister Marie Jacinthe (grades 2-4, ungraded), Benjamin P. Kubrakovich (grade 8), Sister M. Jacinthe du St. Rosaire [Aline Pakenham] (special education), Anna Toupin (grade 2)

1965-1966

Marie Gertrude Alice [Sister M. Margeuritte Gertrude Audette], Madeline Irene Basset Bernard, Sister M. Emilie de la Croix [M. Georgette B. Boulanger], Paul Chartrand, Marie Adeline Cantin [Sister Marie Fideline], Laurent Desaulniers, Madeline Gaudry (January-June), Tracy Joseph Lambert (September-December), Anna Toupin, Glen Roy Wozny

1966-1967

Marie Gertrude Alice [Sister M. Margeuritte Gertrude Audette], Sister M. Emilie de la Croix [M. Georgette B. Boulanger], Paul Chartrand (September-December), Marie Adeline Cantin [Sister Marie Fideline], Madeline Gaudry, George Bennett Grose (January-June), Jeannette Dufault Kubrakovich (September-December), Rudolph Jarema (January-June), Miss Lambert (January-June), Sister MArie Louis-Andre, Marcel Mayer (September-December), Duncan McKinnon, Anna Toupin (September-December), Hermine Coulter (January-June)

1967-1968

?

1968-1969

?

1969-1970

Diane Marie Bellec (grade 4), Madeleine Irene Bernard (grade 2), Marie Adeline Cantin [Sister Marie Fideline] (grade 5), Alba Maria Cendon (grade 5), Hermine Coulter (grade 3), Andrea Lillian De Laronde (grade 6), Marie Anne Desrosiers (grade 1), Veronica Gaudry (primary special education), Frances Di Emma Gillespie (grade 2), Linda Marie Gray (intermediate special education), Germaine Marie Therese Lambert (grade 1), Olive Anne Natyna (grade 3), Maureen Faye Rothwell (grade 4), Lula Squire (grade 6)

After 1970

see St. Laurent Elementary / St. Laurent School

Principals (St. Laurent High School)

Period

Principal

1939-1943

Catharine Mary Halloran [Sister Marie Pauls Gambora]

1943-1945

shared with St. Laurent School

1945-1946

Rose Claire Colliou

1946-1947

Alice Mary Audette [Sister Marie de St. Magnile]

1947-1961

?

?-?

Mother Marie Dunstan

After 1961

see St. Laurent Collegiate

Teachers (St. Laurent High School)

Period

Teachers

1939-1940

Catharine Mary Halloran [Sister Marie Paule Gambora] (grades 9-11)

1940-1941

Catharine Mary Halloran [Sister Marie Paule Gambora] (grades 9-12)

1941-1942

Catharine Mary Halloran [Sister Marie Paule Gambora] (grades 9-11)

1942-1943

Catharine Mary Halloran [Sister Marie Paule Gambora] (grades 9-10)

1943-1944

Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 9-10)

1944-1945

Mary Ellen Fitzgerald (grades 9-10)

1945-1946

Rose Claire Colliou (grades 9-11)

1946-1947

Alice Mary Audette [Sister Marie de St. Magnile] (grades 9-12)

1947-1948

Alice Mary Audette [Sister Marie de St. Magnile] (grades 9-12)

1948-1949

?

1949-1950

?

1950-1951

?

1951-1952

?

1952-1953

?

1953-1954

?

1954-1955

?

1955-1956

?

1956-1957

?

1957-1958

?

1958-1959

?

1959-1960

?

1960-1961

Alice Mary Audette [Sister Marie de St. Magnile] (grade 12), Marie Jacqueline Berthe Lalonde [Sister M. de St. Bonaventure] (grade 9), Mary Pauline Mercier (grades 10-11), Madeleine Regnier [Sister M. Helene-Denise] (grade 12)

After 1961

see St. Laurent Collegiate

Photos & Coordinates

St. Laurent School

St. Laurent School (no date)
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs,
GR8461, A0233, C131-2, page 114.

St. Laurent School

St. Laurent School (no date) by M. Hall-Jones
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs,
GR8461, A0233, C131-2, page 114.

St. Laurent School

St. Laurent School (no date) by M. Hall-Jones
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs,
GR8461, A0233, C131-2, page 114.

St. Laurent Elementary as viewed from the northwest

St. Laurent Elementary as viewed from the northwest (June 1967)
Source: Archives of Manitoba, Local Government Boundaries Commission,
File 27A St. Laurent Elementary.

St. Laurent Elementary as viewed from the southeast

St. Laurent Elementary as viewed from the southeast (June 1967)
Source: Archives of Manitoba, Local Government Boundaries Commission,
File 27A St. Laurent Elementary.

Site Coordinates (lat/long): N50.40996, W97.93650
denoted by symbol on the map above

Sources:

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

Departmentally appointed school trustee files (E 0034), St. Laurent School District No. 1416 - Cash Book, GR1629, Archives of Manitoba.

Departmentally appointed school trustee files (E 0034), St. Laurent School District No. 1416 - Miscellaneous, GR1629, Archives of Manitoba.

Trustee records regarding geographically remote schools directly administered by Department (E 0166), File 1416 - St. Laurent - (General) - Permanent, GR1206, Archives of Manitoba.

Trustee records regarding geographically remote schools directly administered by Department (E 0166), File 1416 - St. Laurent - (Village), GR1206, Archives of Manitoba.

Trustee records regarding geographically remote schools directly administered by Department (E 0166), File 1416 - St. Laurent (Village) School District - Blueprint for eight classroom school, GR1206, Archives of Manitoba.

Trustee records regarding geographically remote schools directly administered by Department (E 0166), File 1416 - St. Laurent - (Bluff Island) - Permanent, GR1206, Archives of Manitoba.

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

“[The St. Laurent School dispute is being argued ...],” Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 13 March 1890, page 3.

“[The St. Laurent School trouble is again being aired ...],” Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 28 April 1890, page 4.

“[Judgement was rendered yesterday in the case of J. N. J. Mulvihill ...],” Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 21 May 1890, page 4.

“Local Happenings [Mr. James Sinclair has secured a large building contract ...],” Stonewall Argus, 13 April 1910, page 8.

St. Laurent topographic map, 62I/5, Edition 1, Series A743 [UFS Reference Collection].

Local Government Boundaries Commission, Schools in the Interlake - Manitoba - Volume 1, St. Laurent - File 27A, March 1968, Archives of Manitoba.

“Notice of tender,” Winnipeg Free Press, 14 February 1970, page 65.

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 Land between the Lakes: History of R.M. of St. Laurent & District, by the St. Laurent & District History Book Committee, 2010, pages 26-52. [University of Manitoba Libraries]

This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer and Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 5 July 2026

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