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OOTISCHENIA

A black and white photograph of Ootischenia School, showing a quaint, gabled building with a covered porch, typical of early rural schoolhouses, set against a backdrop of mountainous terrain indicative of its location and the era of simple, community-based educational structures.

The small, brown shingled building located on Columbia Road, Ootischenia, just off the junction of Highway 3A, is the original school. In 1942, a school was built with three classrooms plus a teacherage under one roof. The school enrolled students from grades 1 to 8 in three classrooms. This school remained in operation until 1962. […]

KINNAIRD (STEWARDSVILLE)

A grainy historical photograph of Kinnaird Stewardsville School, featuring a simple wooden structure shaded by trees, with children standing in front, conveying the rustic and communal atmosphere of early schooling in smaller communities.

Originally, Kinnaird was known as Stewardsville. In approximately 1917, a one-room frame building was constructed to serve as a school for the children of the mill workers. This school operated until 1932. In 1948, the Kinnaird Elementary School opened with three primary classrooms. Eventually, new classrooms were added to accommodate the increased enrollment of students […]

KINNAIRD JUNIOR SECONDARY

A black and white photograph from 1992 depicting Kinnaird Middle School, a modern building with a linear design, featuring a spacious sports field in the foreground and situated against a dense forest backdrop, exemplifying the integration of education and nature in school settings.

This school was officially opened on November 3, 1964, even though students have been in attendance in September of that year. The frame building consisted of five classrooms, a library, science room and a gymnasium. Renovations and structural changes had been made as required over the years. Before the 1970s it only housed grade 8 […]

KAMANOE

A historical black and white photo of the Kanamore School from 1927, showcasing its simple yet functional architecture with a gabled roof and multiple windows, typical of rural schoolhouses of that era, standing solitary in a clearing with mountains faintly visible in the background, symbolizing the roots of community education in a pastoral setting.

This school was situated across the Brilliant Suspension Bridge near the area where the road branches off to the present golf course. The school was built similarly to Brilliant Number One and included a teacherage. Students were taught grades 1 to 8. The school operated from 1933 to 1950.

GLADE

A grayscale image showing Glade School, a solitary building nestled on a hillside. The school's architecture is simple, with a gabled roof and visible windows. The surrounding landscape is mountainous and wooded, indicating a rural setting. In the foreground, the patterned texture suggests a body of water, adding a sense of isolation and tranquility to the school's location.

This community can be reached across the Kootenay River by ferry only. The first school was established in the community in 1917. However it was victim of fire. In 1933, a new school similar to the Brilliant School was built. This school had one classroom at each end of the building, and a four room […]

GIBSON CREEK

A black and white photograph from 1947 featuring the Gibson Creek School, a simple, single-story building with a prominent row of windows, captured in a rural setting with a mountainous backdrop, reflecting the educational architecture of the mid-20th century.

The last Gibson Creek school was built in 1947 and closed in 1966. It replaced the first Gibson Creek school which had become inadequate for the needs of the community. The first school was a typical pioneer building, bare and scant and materials, a small dark classroom, a wood and coal stove for heat, outdoor […]

DEER PARK

A black and white photograph from 1935 depicting the rural setting of Deer Park School. A large sheep with a thick fleece stands prominently in the foreground with a man riding it, both surrounded by a wooden fence. Behind them, the small, one-room schoolhouse is visible, distinguishable by its white siding and bell tower. The school is situated in a pastoral landscape with sparse trees, rough terrain, and a simple picket fence, indicative of the agricultural community it served during that era.

In 1907, a one-room log school was built in this settlement on the east side of the Lower Arrow Lake north of Castlegar with 10 pupils attending classes. In 1912, Mennonite settlers moved into the area farms and built a new school which had a steeple bell. This building was demolished when B.C. Hydro bought […]

CHAMPION CREEK

A nostalgic black and white photograph showing Champion Creek schoolhouse, with a classic vintage car parked out front. The snow on the ground and rooftop adds to the historical ambiance of the scene, harking back to an earlier time in educational history.

Champion Creek was situated 8 miles south of Castlegar on the east side of the Columbia River. A Doukhobor community consisting of five villages located one quarter of a mile apart was established here. The school was established in 1922 and was located in a meeting room furnished with long desks and benches seating five […]

CAY CREEK

A black and white photo of Cay Creek School, an abandoned two-story brick building with a deteriorating roof and overgrown surroundings, standing as a relic of the past against the rugged hillside, illustrating the forgotten vestiges of early rural education.

This school was an unused frame building located in a Doukhobor village. In the Fall of 1939, 16 students from the Pleasant School were transferred to the Cay Creek School. It was created to serve the students in the southern end of Ootischenia. The school housed classes from grades 1 to 8. It was simply […]

CASTLEGAR PRIMARY

A black and white photograph from 1992 showing Castlegar Primary School, characterized by its single-story, flat-roofed structure, large windows, and an outdoor play area complete with a basketball hoop, portraying a typical educational setting of the late 20th century.

Prior to January 1967, the primary classes were held at the Twin Rivers Elementary School. The new school housed grades 1 to 4 for several years. In 1974, the school had a fire. Luckily because of its cement block construction only one classroom was destroyed and the others only had smoke damage. During Castlegar Primary […]

Do you have historical materials from School District No. 20, and former school districts No. 9 (Castlegar) & 11 (Trail)?
If so, please contact us HERE

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