Historic Sites of Manitoba: Makinak School No. 979 (Makinak, RM of Lakeshore)

Link to:
Principals | Vice-Principals | Teachers | Photos & Coordinates | Sources

The Makinak School District was organized formally in July 1898, operating in Makinak in what is now the Rural Municipality of Lakeshore. Initially, a one-room wood frame school building operated on a site next to the Methodist/Presbyterian Church. In 1918, it was replaced by a two-storey, two-classroom red brick veneer structure erected on a design by Dauphin architect Joseph Henry Bossons. Electricity was installed in the building in 1947 or 1948, and a third classroom was added to its east side in 1955. Running water and flush toilets were added in 1957.

In 1964, the district was consolidated with Carrick School No. 1639 and Woodbend School No. 1886 to form Makinak Consolidated School No. 2428. The school was closed in 1971 and its remaining students went to Dauphin or Ochre River. The building stood vacant until 1980 when it was demolished. Only its concrete foundation remains. A commemorative monument at the site, topped with a metal model of the school, was erected in July 1987.

Principals

Period	Principal
1947-1949	Henriette Nelly Andre (1907-2001)
1949-1954	Mabel Arletta Geisel (1917-1996)
1954-1955	Herbert Irvine “Herb” Dunn (1924-2019)
1955-1956	Donald Van Dusen (1930-2019)
1956-1957	Thomas W. Emerson Elizabeth H. Donaldson “Bessie” Maguet (1912-1997)
1957-1958	Thomas Adam “Tom” Kalichak (1927-1973)
1958-1960	William E. Walker
1960-1961	George Wesley Denstedt (1896-1979)
1961-1963	William Sul
1963-1967	James S. McKessock (1911-1983)
1967-1970	Alice Mae Giles Cooper (1924-2013)
1970-1971	Donald A. “Don” Garton (1936-2010)

Teachers

Some of the early teachers of Makinak School were Mr. H. Belford (1899), Miss Mabel Crowe (1919), Miss Mary Cumming (1919), Audrey Rhind Arnett (1934-1936), John Ernest Ingot (1938), Marion Smith (1938), Henriette Nelly Andre (1938), W. McFee (1938), and Paul Innis Robinson (?).

School Year	Teachers
1947-1948	William E. Mason
1948-1949	Miss Jean Robertson
1949-1950	Miss Marie Persson
1950-1951	Miss Marie Persson
1951-1952	Mrs. Olga Didyk
1952-1953	Mrs. I. Fisher, Miss M. Kilsby, Miss C. Paris
1953-1954	Mrs. Isobel Torrie, Miss Irene Van Dusen
1954-1955	Mrs. Roberta Anderson, Miss Margaret Leith
1955-1956	Miss Audrey Bothwell, Miss Iris Marris, Mrs. Margaret Van Dusen
1956-1957	Miss Audrey Bothwell, Mrs. Maime McIntyre
1957-1958	Miss Audrey Bothwell, Mrs. Mamie McIntyre
1958-1959	Mrs. Mamie McIntyre, Mrs. Bernice Thompson
1959-1960	Mrs. Mamie McIntyre, Mrs. Bernice Thompson
1960-1961	Miss Marjorie Hoy, Elizabeth H. Donaldson “Bessie” Maguet
1961-1962	Miss Marjorie Hoy, Elizabeth H. Donaldson “Bessie” Maguet
1962-1963	Miss Marjorie Hoy, Elizabeth H. Donaldson “Bessie” Maguet
1963-1964	Mrs. Marie R. Gamache, Elizabeth H. Donaldson “Bessie” Maguet
1964-1965	Richard Staub, Marjorie Hoy Wildeboer
1965-1966	Alice Mae Giles Cooper, Marjorie Hoy Wildeboer
1966-1967	Marjorie Hoy Wildeboer
1967-1968	Mrs. Alice Howatt, Marjorie Hoy Wildeboer
1968-1969	Mrs. Alice Howatt, Marjorie Hoy Wildeboer
1969-1970	Mrs. Alice Howatt, Marjorie Hoy Wildeboer
1970-1971	Mrs. Alice Howatt, Marjorie Hoy Wildeboer

Photos & Coordinates

The second Makinak School (no date) by E. H. Reid Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs, GR8461, A0233, C131-2, page 34. Former Makinak School building prior to demolition (circa 1980) Source: Henri Gamache Makinak School commemorative monument with former school foundation in the background (May 2012) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Concrete foundation of the former Makinak School building (May 2012) Source: Gordon Goldsborough Makinak School commemorative monument (September 2015) Source: George Penner Site Coordinates (lat/long): N50.98373, W99.66403 denoted by symbol on the map above

Sources:

“Tender for building,” Manitoba Free Press, 2 March 1918, page 26.

“The local round,” Dauphin Herald, 20 October 1938, page 9.

Annual Reports of the Manitoba Department of Education, Manitoba Legislative Library.

“Teaching staffs named for “A” and “B” groups,” Dauphin Herald and Press, 9 September 1954, page 1.

“Record-breaking enrollments expected here in collegiate, elementary schools,” Dauphin Herald and Press, 1 September 1955, page 1.

“All-time high enrollments expected for town schools,” Dauphin Herald and Press, 30 August 1956, page 1.

“Town schools open today, high enrollments expected,” Dauphin Herald and Press, 29 August 1957, page 1.

“Total of 110 teachers assigned to schools in Dauphin-Ochre area,” Dauphin Herald and Press, 4 September 1958, pages 1, 6.

“Teaching staffs assigned to rural, village schools,” Dauphin Herald and Press, 3 September 1959, page 1.

“26 rural schools start fall term classes Tuesday,” Dauphin Herald and Press, 31 August 1960, page 4.

“Teaching staff for area schools increases to 132 for opening 1963-64 term,” Dauphin Herald and Press, 21 August 1963, page 1.

“All area schools open classes next Tuesday, 131 on teaching staffs,” Dauphin Herald and Press, 26 August 1964, page 1.

“All schools in area open classes Sept. 1 – 133 on teaching staffs,” Dauphin Herald and Press, 25 August 1965, page 1, 8.

Between Mountain and Lake: A History of Ochre River Rural Municipality, 1885-1970 by Ochre River Women’s Institute History Committee, Neepawa: The Neepawa Press, 1970, pages 232, 241, 245-247.

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.

Alice Mae Giles Cooper, FindAGrave.

We thank Henri Gamache for providing a photo of Makinak School, and James Arnett, Nathan Kramer, George Penner, and Marjorie Wildeboer for providing additional information.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 6 December 2025

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