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CENTRAL ELEMENTARY

A historical black and white photo of Central Elementary School. The school building, captured likely in the early to mid-20th century, is a large, multi-story structure with prominent architectural features, including a central section with a peaked roof and a cupola. There are two wings flanking the central structure, each with rows of evenly spaced windows, indicative of classrooms. A group of students and perhaps some staff members are gathered in front of the school, many standing in lines, suggesting the photo might have been taken during a school event or class photo day. The terrain in the foreground is barren and sloped, leading up to the school, emphasizing its prominent position. The background is open sky, with the faint outline of mountains or hills, which along with the building style, suggests a Western or rural setting. This image serves as a visual record of the educational infrastructure and community during that period.

Central Elementary School was built in 1911 and opened in the fall of 1912. It replaced a small wooden school on the same site. The all brick structure contained eight classrooms for all grades. Full high school instruction was provided with a separate Principal and teachers. In 1916, and east wing was added and in […]

CASINO

A black and white photograph of the interior of Casino School, featuring an early 20th-century classroom setting. Wooden desks arranged in neat rows face the teacher's desk at the front, where a young student sits, adding a personal touch to the scene. The room is heated by a prominent wood-burning stove near the center, a common fixture of the time. Large windows with diamond-shaped panes provide ample natural light, reflecting off the wooden floors. Educational posters and a world globe suggest a focus on geography and history, while the room's high ceiling and dark wood cabinetry exude a sense of the era's educational environment. The simplicity and order of the classroom highlight the utilitarian approach to education of that period.

Casino is a small rural community south of Trail on the west side of the Columbia River. A school was established to serve the children in the area in 1938 with 14 pupils in attendance. The school was closed in June, 1957 and the pupils were transferred to Central School. The building is now used […]

ANNABLE AND JL WEBSTER ELEMENTARY

A black and white photograph from around 1932 of a group of students at Annable School. There are three rows of children, with girls mainly in the back and middle rows, and boys in the front, all positioned in front of the school's entrance. The students are dressed in the simple, practical attire of the era, with the boys in button-up shirts and slacks, some with ties, and the girls in a mix of dresses and blouses with skirts. A few students are kneeling in the front row, while the others stand straight and tall. Two female teachers stand amidst the students, wearing period-appropriate clothing. The children exhibit a range of expressions from smiles to serious gazes, providing a candid glimpse into the school life of that time. The school building behind them is modest, with a visible entrance and large windows, characteristic of early 20th-century rural school architecture.

The first record of a school in Annable, a residential area just west of Trail (now part of Warfield), was in 1912. It was a one room wooden structure located on Montcalm Road. It had 18 pupils in its first year of classes. It operated at this location until 1934 when a new and larger […]

RSS

A black and white photograph from 1952 showcasing Rossland High School, a multi-story, rectangular building with long rows of windows, reflecting the utilitarian architectural style of the era, set on a street corner with a sparse landscape in the background.

Following World War Two, plans were made to construct a high school in Rossland. It was opened for classes in 1951 on Washington Street adjacent to Jubilee Park. It consisted of 10 classrooms and rooms for music, industrial arts, science labs and home economics. It also had a gymnasium, cafeteria and auditorium.It served the Rossland […]

MACLEAN

MacLean School, built in 1918, c. 1947

MacLean School was opened in the fall of 1918. It was named after J. D. MacLean, a teacher and principal at Central School, who had become the Provincial Minister of Education. The building was constructed of brick in the hopes of eliminating its loss by fire. However, the school was destroyed by fire in 1981 […]

COOK AVE

Cook Avenue School, 1910

Cook Avenue School was Rossland’s second school and opened for classes in 1903. It was constructed in lower Rossland in an effort alleviate the overcrowding at Central School. It was named after John Cook who was co-owner of the Rossland townsite in 1894.The school was enlarged in 1939 but had no rooms for special education […]

CENTRAL SCHOOL

Central School on 4th Avenue built in 1898

The first school in Rossland was established in the Methodist Church in the fall of 1895 with 50 students in attendance.  By December, attendance has grown to 98 students.  In August 1896, a small two room school was constructed on Kootenay Avenue housing 143 students in eleven classes.  In 1898, The Province of BC constructed […]

WOODLAND PARK ELEMENTARY

A black and white photograph of Woodland Park School, a low, extended building with a flat roof, situated in an open space with majestic mountains in the background, showcasing the natural beauty surrounding the educational facility.

This school first opened its doors for pupils in Castlegar in 1961. This new four room school plus activity room was built primarily to accommodate the children of the employees of the recently completed Celgar Pulp Mill. The 120 students, grades 1 to 5, were very excited to attend this new school. In 1965, two […]

WATERLOO

The settlement of Waterloo was located at the south end of Ootischenia. The school, a small one-room building, was built in 1897 complete with homemade furnishings, 12 pupils attended. The school closed in 1900 when mining activity in the area ceased.

VALLEY VISTA

This school was built to relieve overcrowding at Kinnaird Elementary in 1954. It was a two-room school for grade one and two pupils. In 1960s, a third room was added for grade three. In the 1970s, kindergarten classes were added. The school closed in 1991, sold to a developer who tore the building down for […]

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