Introduction / Families / Stevenson / George Stevenson and Charlotte Corrigal / Charlotte Stevenson and Robert Reid / John Flaws Reid and Ida Estella Rae Rendall / The York Colony

The Orkney School

In 1887 the settlers in the Orkney area of the York Colony voted to build a school. The Orkney Protestant Public School District #97 was formed and $600 was raised to build the school. School wasn’t held that first year, however, as the Board of Education of The North West Territories would not grant a provisional teaching certificate. The next year the school board taxed the settlers and hired a teacher from Winnipeg. When the school opened in April 1888 on Robert Sinclair’s homestead it was called the Orkney Public School District #97. A log school was soon built for the students on land donated by Robert Sinclair. This was the first school built in the York Colony.

A new stone school was built in 1897 to replace the log school built earlier. The old school was sold, and while the stone school was being built classes were held in the Orkney Church. In 1939 when a second classroom was needed the church was again used. The second classroom was later relocated to Orcadia. Two schools were operated until 1958 when a new school was built in Orcadia to replace them. This school was operated until 1969, and the building was subsequently used for other purposes.

The original Orkney stone school building was restored in 1984 and has been declared a historic site.