Sunny Brae School District No. 2075
It was on September 11, 1909 that a meeting was held to organize the
Sunny Brae School District #2075. The first trustees elected were J.
Fenton (chairman), H. Westbrook, T. Sheppard and S.C. Miles (secretary-
treasurer).
$1600 was borrowed to purchase a site on the southwest corner of SW 29- 45-8 W4 from Mr. A. Higginson, and to erect a building. The school was 24’ x 32’, painted white and green and was built by H. Westbrook, J.D. Campbell and Jack Gillis.
School opened on June 13, 1910 with Miss Milburn teaching at a salary of $60 per month. Later a stable, 14’ x 16’ was built by volunteers with material costing $50. The janitor, usually a schoolboy, received a salary ranging from $10 to $15 per year, up to $40; then in 1922 it dropped to $15 and remained there during the 30s. Teachers’ salaries fluctuated — up to $1250 in 1920 down to $700 per year in 1933.
The first students were: the Westbrook children, J. Fenton children, Edgar Swailes and Blanche Shafner. When the Westbrooks moved away in 1912, the school closed until 1914 when more families moved in. Newcomers were Gladys Stougaard, Martin and Einer Enger. Church services and Christmas concerts were held in school. In 1922 rent of $5 was charged. This was returned to the renter if the building was left clean and undamaged. In 1925 a motion was passed at a board meeting prohibiting the hiring of a married teacher.
Unsuccessful attempts were made to bore a good well on the property, so water was brought from the nearby Higginson farm. Later on Kathleen Knowles carried water to the school for $7.5 a month. To beautify the school yard 1500 trees were obtained from the Indian Head farm, but very few of these survived.
The school was heated with a big, round “Good Cheer” heater, using wood at $4 a cord and coal when finances permitted. The heater was also used to heat milk, brought by the children, to make cocoa. Some of the children had to walk almost four miles to school, so that some winter’s attendance was very erratic. This was before the days of warm ski-jackets and pants, and lined overshoes. Even if they had been available, economic conditions would have made it impossible for some parents to purchase them. Thermos bottles in lunch kits were a luxury, afforded by very few. In the ’30s, used library books had been in the school since it opened – no money was available for new ones.
Christmas concerts were a highlight of the year, attracting people from far and wide. Santa’s visit was exciting, particularly one year when the hat and beard were missing from the borrowed costume. He carried on jovially without it. Each child received a gift — the school board having voted some funds for this purpose. A list of the children’s names and ages was sent to the T. Eaton Co. in Winnipeg. A gift was selected for each child and beautifully wrapped and the order returned in time for the concert and party. Summer picnics at the end of June became a community affair, with races for everyone, plenty of food and a happy ending to the school year.
Trustees have been: R.L. Eaton, J.N. Seton, G. Knowles, A. Smart, T.N. Sellars, T. Sanders, M.D. Askin and E. Fenton. Teachers were Misses Milburn, Beth McDonald, Mabel McDonald, Kellogg, Irving, Ina Askin, E. Morton, M. Bowman, Beer, Freda Forsythe, Douglas, Hazel Congdon, Phyllis Thurston, Mabel Holt, Jean Craig and Joyce Sirois.
From 1949 on, students were bussed into the Irma School. Sunny Brae school was moved on to the Irma school grounds and used by the elementary grades. It became surplus when the new Irma school was completed. Purchased by Mr. And Mrs. J.D. Barber, it was moved to their farm and converted to a comfortable home.
Sunny Brae School District No. 2075
Submitted by Phyllis E. Craig
46-47-48