Showing 19 results

People and organizations
Ahousaht Residential School
Corporate body · 1895 –1916, 1918–1940

Ahousaht Residential School was located just south of Marktosis #15, of the Ahousaht First Nation, on the southeast end of Flores Island on the western shore of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The Presbyterian Church in Canada operated a day school/informal boarding school on the site from 1895-1904. From 1904-1925 it was a residential school; funded by the Government of Canada and operated/managed by the Woman’s Missionary Society of The Presbyterian Church in Canada. In 1925 the management and operation was transferred to the the Board of Home Missions of The United Church of Canada until the school was officially closed in January, 1940.

Alberni Residential School
Corporate body · 1892–1899, 1900–1966, 1967–1973

Alberni Residential School was located on the west bank of the Somass River, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, just south of the Tseshaht Reserve and about four kilometres north of Port Alberni. It was operated by the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, and after 1925 The Woman's Missionary Society of The United Church of Canada. A day school first opened at the site under Missionary Rev. J.A. MacDonald of the Presbyterian Church in Canada in 1891. Soon, with the support of the government the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Presbyterian Church opened a larger boarding home called Alberni Girls' Home to operate alongside the day school until 1899. Then, the Alberni Residential School opened in 1900. The United Church of Canada took over operations in 1925, and the school remained open until 1966. The Alberni Student Residence operated there from 1967-1973, with the Government of Canada taking over full responsibility in 1969.

Corporate body · 1890-1917

All Hallows' Residential School was a boarding school for girls (Indigenous and non-Indigenous), located in Yale, British Columbia. It was established in 1890 and operated by the Anglican Church in Canada with initial staffing coming from the Sisters of the Community of All Hallows in Norfolk, England. The school was closed in 1917 and the students transferred to the Residential School at Lytton.

Bella Bella Day School
Corporate body · [1880]-1883-September 1, 1976

Bella Bella Day School was located in Bella Bella, on Campbell Island, British Columbia. It was operated by the Wesleyan Methodist Church, then, after 1925 The United Church of Canada. In 1883 the Wesleyan Methodists sent an application for school aid to the Department of Indian Affairs for "BellaBella" and in 1885 grants were authorized for Bella Bella Day School. In 1891, records note that the day school still received a grant paid through the Methodist Society in Toronto. Around 1904 a new school building was constructed, and there are reports of staffing, funding and renovations up until 1963. Government records indicate the school closed in 1976. Further research is required to find more information about the operation and general history of the school.

Bella Coola Day School
Corporate body · October 1, 1902-June 30, 1957

Bella Coola Day School was located in Bella Coola, British Columbia. It was operated by The Methodist Church of Canada, and after 1925, The United Church of Canada . Department of Indian Affairs records show that as of 1902, Bella Coola had a church and a day school under The Methodist Church of Canada. In 1911, a new schoolhouse was built on the north side of the river where most of band resided. Although there is little information on the school after this period, it appears to have been regularly open for the next 30 years. United Church records indicate a second classroom was added in the 1940s. By September, 1962 there was a new two-storey school building at Bella Coola though it is unclear whether this was related to the day school as Government records suggest the school closed in 1957. Further research is needed to confirm when the school closed, and its general history.

Person · 1880-1956

J.G. Brown was born September 6, 1880 in Lakefield, Ontario. He received his university and theological education in Toronto at Victoria College. He was ordained by the Bay of Quinte Conference of the Methodist Church in 1908. After a few years in pastoral work in Ontario, he came to British Columbia in 1912 and ministered at Enderby and Vancouver (including Turner Institute, Ryerson, and Kitsilano Methodist congregations). He was appointed Principal of the newly chartered Ryerson Theological College in 1923. When, in 1927, Ryerson College and Westminster Hall were merged (following church union), Brown became the first Principal of Union College of British Columbia, affiliated with UBC. Under his administration, the main Union College buildings on campus were erected. He had the task of guiding the College through the Depression and then through World War II. Principal Brown also served as President of BC Conference of The United Church of Canada, 1936-1937. After his retirement in 1948, he lived for three years in Oxford, England, until his return to British Columbia, where he assumed the pastorate of the Church of Our Lord in Victoria. J.G. Brown died October 15, 1956.

Cariboo Residential School
Corporate body · 1891-07-19 - 1981-06-30

Cariboo Residential School was located southwest of Williams Lake, halfway between Quesnel and Kamloops on the BC Interior. It was funded by The Government of Canada and operated by the Roman Catholic Church from July 1891-March 31, 1969. From April 1, 1969-June 1981, the federal government managed and operated the school.

Chan, Phoebe, [1869?]-1953
Person · [1869?]-1953

Phoebe Chan came to Canada in about 1900 to join her brother, Rev. Yu Tan Chan, who served as lay preacher at the Chinese Methodist Church in Vancouver. Because of her experience in a mission school in China, she was engaged by the Woman's Missionary Society as Kindergarten Assistant and Bible Teacher at the church. She spent about 35 years teaching and providing pastoral care within the Chinese community, through the Methodist and United Churches. Following an accident in about 1942, Phoebe Chan retired as kindergarten teacher at the age of 72. She died in 1953, in her 84th year.

Corporate body · 1886–1894, 1894–1940

The Coqualeetza Industrial Institute, also referred to as Coqualeetza Residential School was located on the shores of Luckakuck Creek in Sardis, British Columbia, about five kilometres south of Chilliwack in the traditional territory of Skowkale First Nation. It was operated by the Woman's Missionary Society and the General Board of Home Missions of the Methodist Church of Canada, and after 1925 the Board of Home Missions of the United Church of Canada. It was first founded as a day school in 1884 by Missionary Charles M. Tate and his wife, Caroline. Two years later, they began boarding some students in the mission house, first at their own cost and later with the support of the federal government and the Woman's Missionary Society (WMS). In 1888, the WMS built a residential school named the Coqualeetza Home, which continued to operated until it burned down in 1891. With some help from the federal government, the school was rebuilt and opened as the Coqualeetza Industrial Institute in 1894. In 1900, the General Board of Missions took over from the WMS. In 1924 the federal government built a new building to accommodate 200 pupils, which opened in October. In 1925, The United Church of Canada took over operations. In 1939 the Institute closed, and afterward the building became the Coqualeetza Sanitorium under the management of the federal government. It was partially destroyed by fire in 1948, with a new building being completed in 1956.

Hartley Bay Day School
Corporate body · 1899-September 1, 1975

Hartley Bay Day School was located at Hartley Bay 4 or 4A, on the entrance of the Douglas Channel near Kitimaat, British Columbia. It was operated by The Methodist Church of Canada, and after 1925 The United Church of Canada. The school was opened in 1903 by The Methodist Church of Canada and held in a room of the mission house. During the time, Hartley Bay was essentially a winter village so the school was often closed during the warmer months. After 1907 the school was closed for almost six years, reopening in 1912 when a new schoolhouse was built. In 1913 the school was only open during the March quarter. Little more is known about the school but it appears to have been open until at least 1939. Church records from 1940 indicate that a new day school at Hartley Bay was planned for the following year, but it is unclear if it was ever built. Church correspondence shows that the school was open during the 1960s and 70s. Further research is required to confirm when the school closed, it's general history and operation.

Kitimaat Residential School
Corporate body · 1894–1898, 1899–1908, 1908–1941

The Elizabeth Long Memorial Home was located in Kitamaat Village, a reserve of the Haisla Nation, located near the head of Douglas Channel in northern British Columbia, some 120 kilometres southeast of Prince Rupert. From 1894-1898 an informal boarding school was operated on the site by missionaries of The Methodist Church of Canada. In 1899 the Woman's Missionary Society took the home over, and operated a Girls’ Home until 1908, followed by the Elizabeth Long Memorial Home until 1925. In 1925 operations were transferred to the Board of Home Missions of The United Church of Canada until its closure in 1941.

Klemtu Day School
Corporate body · September 1, 1903-June 30, 1919, October 1, 1921-September 1, 1957, September 1, 1958-August 30, 1979

Klemtu Day School was located at Klemtu (formerly known as China Hat Reserve), British Columbia. It was operated by The Methodist Church of Canada, and after 1925 The United Church of Canada. Department of Indian Affairs records first show a Methodist-run Day School at Klemtu in 1903. When the school first opened, it received no assistance from the Department and the schoolhouse was the property of the Church. At some point, the Department began to supply all the materials for the school. Like many day schools in the region, it was only kept open when enough families were on the reserve. The schoolhouse was inspected in March 1911 with only six children present as much of the village was away. There is little information on the Klemtu Day School after 1912, but records show it remained open until at least 1943 with an average daily attendance of around 10 children. In 1934, the schoolhouse at Klemtu was very run-down and described as “not worth the attempt” to repair. By the 1940s, the Church was still nominating teachers to the school. In April 1941, the Board of Home Missions asked the Department to build a teacherage at the “new school” at Klemtu. Little is known about the school after the 1940s, though Government records indicate it closed in 1979. Additional research is needed to learn about it's general history and operation.

Koksilah Day School
Corporate body · 1906-August 31, 1953

Koksilah Day School was located near Duncan, British Columbia. It was operated by The Methodist Church of Canada. Little is known about the history and operation of this school. Government records indicate it was open from 1906-August 31, 1953.

Corporate body · 1890-07-23 - 1975-06-30

Kuper Island Residential School was located on Penelakut Island (formerly Kuper Island) near the community of Chemainus, Vancouver Island. It was funded by The Government of Canada and operated by the Roman Catholic Church from 1890-1969. After 1969, the federal government took over administration of the school until it closed in 1975.

Peters, Eunice, 1898-1991
Person · 1898-1991

Eunice Peters was a Methodist and United Church of Canada missionary to West China, 1923-1948. Peters was born on September 10, 1898 in Fredericton, New Brunswick. She was educated at the Provincial Normal School and taught in New Brunswick before attending the Methodist National Training School in Toronto. In 1923 she was appointed by the Women's Missionary Society of the Methodist Church to West China. She received language instruction at Fowchow and taught at the missionary school there until 1926. Records indicated that she was assigned to teach at schools in several different cities during her time in China: Kiating (1926-1928); Fowchow (1929-1930); Chungking (1930-1932); Junghsien (1932-1936); Chungking (1938-1941), where she also carried out urban social work; Chengtu (1941-1947), and finally Kiating (1948) where she was responsible for evangelistic work. Between 1944 and 1946 she studied at the Hartford Theological Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut, where she received a Bachelor of Religious Education. In 1948 she returned to Canada, where she was eventually posted to the Chinese United Church Mission in Victoria, British Columbia from 1952 to 1962. She formally retired to Victoria in 1964. Eunice Peters died on February 5, 1991 at the age of 92.

Port Essington Day School
Corporate body · December 1, 1885-August 31, 1947

Port Essington Day School was located in Port Essington, on the Skeena River in British Columbia. It was operated by the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Canada, then Methodist Church of Canada and after 1925 The United Church of Canada. As of 1887, the Port Essington Day School was under the auspices of the Wesleyan Church and received a grant from the Department of Indian Affairs. By 1892, the day school was referred to by the Department as a Methodist school, as it was “paid through the Methodist Society at Toronto.” In 1903, the Port Essington Day School was described as being situated on a “special reserve” adjoining the town of Port Essington, at the estuary of the Skeena River. By 1904, it was considered by the Department as one of best day schools in agency. This was likely because, compared to other day schools, the school at Port Essington remained open for most of the year—eleven months, with a month’s vacation in the fall. The school closed in 1911 due to a staffing issue, but reopened in 1912. Department ‘Statement of Day Schools’ records show it was open until at least 1941, with an average daily attendance of 10-20 children. Church records indicate that by the 1940s, the Church nominated or appointed teachers to the school. Other government records indicate it closed in 1947. Additional research is needed to determine the school's general history and information about its operation.

Port Simpson Day School
Corporate body · 1875-September 1, 1975

Port Simpson Day School was located at Port Simpson [Lax Kwa'aalms] approximately 25 miles from Prince Rupert, British Columbia. It was operated by the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Canada, then The Methodist Church of Canada and after 1925 The United Church of Canada. In 1874, the Department of Indian Affairs ‘Statement of Day Schools’ noted that a parliamentary grant was provided for a day school at “Fort Simpson,” which was opened on February 1, 1874 by the Wesleyans. Church records for the following year indicate that the missionary, Thomas Crosby, was working on “fixing up an old house for the use of the school,” paid for from his own means. In a report to the Methodist Society, he requested a teacher for the school. In 1879, the existing schoolhouse was described as “a miserable affair” and the Department was asked to help build a new one. Over the course of the next two years a new schoolhouse was built. During this time, the Church was also planning a “Girls’ Home” to board students from outside of Fort Simpson. A “Boys’ Home” to serve a similar purpose was constructed in 1891. By 1900, Department records indicate the day school was “under the supervision of The Methodist Church of Canada,” with the two teachers “paid by the Government through the Church.” The school building belonged to the Church and was equipped by the Department. By 1904 the Crosby Girls' Home and Crosby Boys' Homes had opened in Port Simpson, and the day school was attended by both the village children and children boarding at the schools. In 1907 a report was written on the missionary work at Port Simpson. In it, the day school was described as a “very good” building with two classrooms downstairs and an upstairs area used for church services. Children from the reserve and the boys from the boarding home were taught at the day school. By 1912, the school at Port Simpson was the largest day school under the control of The Methodist Church, with an enrolment of over 125 children. Little is known about it during the 1920s but Department records show it was consistently open with two teachers and an average attendance of 30-50 children. In 1937, Department officials planned to “rebuild” the day school with two classrooms and a room for domestic science. By May of 1938, the senior teacher reported that the new, large school building was completed and painted but had no “sanitary facilities” for the children. By 1940, there were plans to add a third classroom to the Port Simpson Day School. In 1947, it was reported that some children at the “Crosby Girls’ Residential School” attended the Port Simpson Day School. In May of 1951, arrangements were made to sell the Crosby Girls’ Home and it was hoped that the “village day schools [would be] accommodating the children.” By 1957, there were two day schools at Port Simpson – a three-room building with a large residence upstairs and also an older two-room school. As of 1968, it appears that there was still a Day School in operation at Port Simpson, and government records indicate it closed in 1975. Additional research is needed to learn more about it's general history and operations.

Corporate body · 1892-1948

Port Simpson Residential School was located in Port Simpson (Lax Kw’alaams), on the north coast of British Columbia, 40 kilometres north of Prince Rupert near the Tsimpshean Reserve. The Girls’ Home was operated by the Crosby family, and later the Woman's Missionary Society of The Methodist Church of Canada from 1879-1925, and by the Board of Home Missions of The United Church of Canada from 1925-1948. The Boys’ Home, located on the southeast side of the village, was operated by the Missionary Society of The Methodist Church of Canada from 1890-1914.

Skidegate Day School
Corporate body · 1894-August 1, 1965

Skidegate Day School was located at Skidegate, British Columbia on Graham Island. It was operated by The Methodist Church of Canada, and after 1925, The United Church of Canada . The Department of Indian Affairs ‘Statement of Day Schools’ first mentions a day school at Skidegate in 1896. An 1897 report indicates that the school was open for at least half the year, and then closed during the canning season, although it is suggested then and in 1916 that the teachers may have followed the Indigenous to the canneries to continue education. By 1909, the schoolhouse at Skidegate was in a state of disrepair and the inspector warned that a new building was badly needed. Records from 1911 indicate that the former Methodist church building was being used as the new school building. For much of its history, it appears that Grades 1-7 were taught there, with an average daily attendance of 10-40 children. Little is known about the school during the 1920s and 30s, but it appears it was open during this period with an average daily attendance of 20-40 children. Church records indicate an “Indian School” was operating at Skidegate during at least May of 1941. By the late 1950s, enrolment at the day school had grown to a point where two teachers were needed. One of the teachers was a Woman’s Missionary Society deaconess. Both teachers lived in a residence next to the school. Government records suggest the school closed in 1965. More research is required to learn about the school's general history and operations.