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Principals | Vice-Principals | Teachers | Photos & Coordinates | Sources
The Strathclair School District was organized formally in 1884 and a school operated in Strathclair in what is now the Rural Municipality of Yellowhead.
A two-storey stone structure known as the “old stone school” and more formally as Major School was constructed by Robert Leeson (1858-1951). In 1913, it became Strathclair Consolidated School when it consolidated with Elgin School No. 318. A four-classroom brick building was constructed in 1915 and the former stone building was converted into a two-family dwelling purchased by Reverend David Iverach. He later traded it for a 1926 Studebaker sedan.
As additional space in the brick building was required, two classrooms were added to its north side in 1924 and two more classrooms on the northeast corner in 1954. A new high school building was built in 1960 and an addition to it for younger grades was made in 1972.
Over the years, students from other rural schools came here as they closed: Green Bluff School No. 759, Penrith School No. 813, Wolfe Creek School No. 817, Holylea School No. 904, Pattison School No. 1376, and Marney School No. 275. The 1915 school building at N50.40339, W100.39140 was demolished in 1975 and is commemorated on the site by an engraved stone sign.
Period
Principal
1913-1915
Montague Shore (1861-1944)
1915
Alfred William Muldrew (1889-1976)
1915
George Gordon Grigg (1887-1969)
1916-1918
Hugh Clarke Fairfield (1877-1961)
1918
E. S? Fife
1918-1923
David Iverach (1871-1946)
1923-1924
Thomas Patrick King (1873-1954)
1924-1943
Octavius T. Gamey (1877-1963)
1943-1949
Laura Elfreda Shanks (1909-1996)
1949-1957
Walter Thorvaldur Fredrickson (1907-1974)
1957-1982
Elstan Glorydd “E. G. / Wick” Morris (1923-2011)
1982-1985
1985-1988
Rex Virtue
1988-?
Randy Earle
Period
Vice-Principal
1982-?
Randy Earle
Ken Smith
The early teachers of Strathclair School included Mary A. McLaurie (1883), Ursula C. C. Smith (1884 - Fall 1885), Jennie Maclean (Spring-Fall 1886), Daniel Willis McKerchar (Spring-Fall 1887), J. B. Sharpe (Spring 1888), Sarah L. Cook (Fall 1888), L. M. A. Preston (Spring-Fall 1889), R. E. Macdonald (Spring-Fall 1890), Daisy V. Morrison (Spring-Fall 1891), Bessie Murray (Spring-Fall 1892), George E. Bruce (Spring-Fall 1893), Kate Blackwell (Spring-Fall 1894), George W. A. Harcus (Spring 1895 - Fall 1901), records not available (Spring 1902 - Fall 1904), Archibald McIntyre (?-? [c1903?]), Edith Mary Bloomer (Spring 1905), Ella Somerville (Fall 1905), Eva Underhill (Spring-Fall 1906), Lena Boyce (Spring-Fall 1907), Nellie Jenkins (Spring-Fall 1908), Janie M. Sinclair (Spring-Fall 1909), Flornie Hellis (Spring 1910 - Fall 1911), and Lillian P. C. Irvine (Spring-Fall 1912).
School Year
Teachers
1913
(January-June only): Lillian P. C. Irvine (all grades)
1913-1914
Lillian P. C. Irvine, Ethel E. McFadyen, Anabelle McMillan (Fall), Montague Shore (senior grades), Percy Curran Tees (Spring)
1914-1915
Montague Shore (grades 7-11), Lena J. Walker (grades 3-6), E. Merle McWilliams (grades 1-2)
1915-1916
Hugh Clarke Fairfield (grades 6-9, January-June), George Gordon Grigg (grades 7-11, November), Bertha M. McBean (grades 1-2, January-June), Mary I. Macdonald (grades 7-11, December; grades 4-6, January-June), E. Merle McWilliams (grades 1-2, August-December; grades 3-4, January-June, Alfred William Muldrew (grades 7-11, August-November), Lillian L. “Lily” Ross (grades 4-6, November-December), Lena J. Walker (grades 4-6, August-November)
1916-1917
Rosa E. Black (grades 3-5), Hugh Clarke Fairfield (grades 9-11), Bertha M. McBean (grades 1-2), Esther Wheatley (grades 6-8)
1917-1918
Shirley E. Ferg (grades 3-5, August-December; grades 4-5, January-June), Hugh Clarke Fairfield (grades 9-11, August-May), E. S? Fife (grades 9-11, June), Margo Haacke (grades 2-3, January-June), Bertha M. McBean (grades 1-2, August-December; grade 1, January-June), Esther Wheatley (grades 6-8)
1918-1961
?
1961-1962
Mrs. Gwen Bell, Mrs. Eva Mundell, Mr. Robert Rempel, Mrs. Inez Rinn
1962-1970
?
1970-1971
Jean Anderson, Joan Baker, Bob Bell, Lois Dandrige, Margaret English, Gary Garbolinsky, Marilyn Geekie, Helga Gerrard, Winnie Glenn, Wilma McKerchar, Annabelle Pirie, Gayleen Stimpson
Among the other teachers who worked at Strathclair School were Perley Alister Murphy (1911?), Elsie C. Dewar, and Lorne A. Finkbeiner (three years).
Major School (circa 1911)
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspector Photos GR2664, C65.
Strathclair School (circa 1917)
Source: Education Department Report, 1917, Manitoba Legislative Library.
Postcard view of the Strathclair School building (no date)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough, 2011-0007.
Strathclair School commemorative sign (July 2012)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Strathclair School commemorative sign (August 2025)
Source: Glen Toews
Strathclair School commemorative sign (August 2025)
Source: Glen ToewsSite Coordinates (lat/long): N50.40278, W100.39111
denoted by symbol on the map above
Board of Education registers (A 0050), GR7643, Archives of Manitoba.
Summative half-yearly returns for school districts (A 0051), GR0571, Archives of Manitoba.
School division half-yearly attendance reports (E 0757), Archives of Manitoba.
Annual Reports of the Manitoba Department of Education, Manitoba Legislative Library.
“Council reports,” Birtle Eyewitness, 3 October 1961, page 10.
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.
Strathclair, Manitoba: Our Story to 1984 by the Strathclair Centennial History Committee, 1984.
“Trustees conduct regular meeting,” Hamiota Echo, 13 September 1988, page 7.
We thank Nathan Kramer, Ken Storie, and Glen Toews for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 18 March 2026
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