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 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.
Berens River Day School was located in Berens River, Manitoba. It was operated by the Methodist Church of Canada, and after 1925 by The United Church of Canada. In 1874, the Department of Indian Affairs approved an annual grant for a Wesleyan Methodist school at Berens River. By 1878 records indicate there were around 10 children under the teacher, John Semmens although there was no schoolhouse. Methodist Church of Canada correspondence from 1882 suggests that a schoolhouse was eventually built but parents were unhappy as it was not in a central location. In 1885, a government Indian Agent criticized the Methodist-run school as a complete failure. Another more substantial school was built in 1888, still managed by the Methodist Society, and later, it appears a Government-run school was also built. There are unfavourable reports of the school in church records in 1897, and 1906. Reports continue throughout the 1920s and 30s. By at least 1938 there was a new United Church Day School building on the reserve. Little is known about the Day School during the 1940s, but reports written in 1954 and 1958 indicate there were 2 day schools at Berens River one staffed by United Church and and another by the Roman Catholics. The United Church-run school was referred to as Berens River No. 002. The Day School(s) closed in 1967. Further research is required to learn more information about the operation and general history of the school.
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.
Chemong Day School was located on what is now Curve Lake First Nation, along Mud Lake in Ontario. It was operated by the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Canada. Wesleyan Methodist records indicate that the school was operational in 1906, and in 1909 the Department of Indian Affairs gave permission to the Methodist Missionary Society to provide a qualified teacher. Records indicate the school was open as late as 1920, however, further research is required to confirm details about its operation, and opening and closure dates and general history.
Cote Day School was located on a reserve, two miles north of Kamsack, Saskatchewan. It was operated by The Presbyterian Church in Canada, and later, The United Church of Canada. Department of Indian Affairs records list "Cote Improved Day School" was opened in 1916 by The Presbyterian Church in Canada as a replacement for its Crowstand Residential School. During the 1920s some students boarded at the day school. After 1925 and throughout the 1930-50s operations continued under the Woman's Missionary Society of The United Church of Canada . In 1950 a new day school was opened on the reserve, and at this point records began referring to schools No. 1 and No. 2. The No. 2 school was likely called "Hillside School." In 1954 a third school opened in the area, across the Assiniboine River. Government records indicate that the two schools affiliated with The United Church closed in 1963, and 1979. Further research is required to confirm the closure dates of the school(s), more information about the operation and general history of the school(s).
Cross Lake Day School was located at Cross Lake, Manitoba. It was operated by The Methodist Church of Canada. A report from the Department of Indian Affairs indicates that in 1882-3 a school was being built, with students being taught in a local home for the time being. In 1892 the school was listed in government records as Methodist, prior to that it had been labelled "government." The school was closed temporarily in 1901 for the construction of a new building, and after that, it was still operational until the 1940s. By 1938 the Department planned to build a "new improved Day School" at Cross Lake which would function as both a day school and residential school. It is unclear if this was completed, but in 1943 Church officials accepted an offer from the Department to convert a large warehouse into a day school. A church report in 1954 indicated that there were two United Church and one Roman Catholic school in operation at Cross Lake. A 1963 report lists an additional school, and a 1966 report indicates four United Church affiliated classrooms at Cross Lake. Government records suggest the United Church-run school was closed in 1969 (or perhaps transferred to another denomination). Further research is required to learn more about the operation of the schools and their general history.
God's Lake Day School was located at God's Lake Narrows, Manitoba. It was operated by The Methodist Church of Canada, and after 1925 The United Church of Canada . The school first appears in government records in 1912, though it was often listed as a summer or seasonal school. This school closed in 1914 due to staffing issues. It reopened in 1920 and may have operated as a 'regular' school until the 1930s, when it again became a seasonal school. During this entire time, it appears there was no dedicated school building, though there may have been one built in 1924, and another in 1934. In 1943 church records show there were two schools on God's Lake Reserve, and in 1953 it appears a new day school was built. By the mid-1960s there was still a one-room school house on the reserve with most students having moved to residential schools by 1957. Government records suggest the school was open until 1968. Further research is required to confirm the closure dates, more information about the operation and general history of the school.
Goodfish Lake Day School was located at Goodfish Lake in Alberta. It was operated by the Missionary Society of The Methodist Church of Canada, and after 1925 The United Church of Canada. According to Department of Indian Affairs records, a school was built in 1884, and opened in 1885. As of 1898, classes were being held in a nearby home as it was halfway between the school at Goodfish Lake, and the one at nearby Whitefish Lake. Records also indicate that there was a small boarding house for these students, supported by the Methodists. In 1908 Church and Department officials discussed opening a boarding school at Saddle Lake and closing the day schools at Whitefish, Goodfish and Saddle Lakes though it does not appear that it was built. Although the Whitefish Lake school was closed around 1910 and students sent to nearby Red Deer Industrial School, the school at Goodfish Lake stayed open until June, 1925. Little is known about the Goodfish Lake Day School after this time. In November of 1959, the Edmonton Journal reported on a “New Reserve School” called "Pakan Protestant School" at Goodfish, 30 miles west of St. Paul. Correspondence from 1966 noted that the Pakan School, otherwise known as the United Church school may have had a kindergarten class. Further research is required to confirm the closure dates, more information about the operation and general history of the school(s).
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.
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 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.
The Martha Wilson Memorial Bible Institute was established by Louise McCully, a missionary with the Presbyterian Church of Canada Foreign Missionary Society. Administration of the school was transferred to the Woman's Missionary Society of The United Church of Canada after union.
Morley Day School was located on the Morley Reserve (now Stoney Reserve), Alberta. It was operated by the Methodist Society of the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Canada, after 1874 The Methodist Church of Canada and after 1925 The United Church of Canada. Department of Indian Affairs records indicate that in 1875 a school at "Morleyville (Bow River)" was operated and funded by the Wesleyan Methodist Society with 40 children enrolled. In 1880, the Indian agent noted that the “Bear’s Paw” [Bearspaw] and “Jacob” bands were on the north side of Bow River, while the “Chinique” [Chiniki] band was on the south side. By 1881, a “Parliamentary Appropriation” was granted to the day school. An 1881 Department report from the Stoney Reserve shows that the school had 20 girls and 23 boys. As the river divided the bands, children from the Bearspaw and Chiniki bands could not attend the school during summer. The missionary, Mr. McDougall, recommended that a separate schoolhouse be built for these bands. Children from the McDougall Orphanage also attended the day school at the mission. By 1886, a new day school was open on the south side of the Bow River, in the house of Chief Chiniquay. The second day school at South Camp was taught by Reverend E. R. Steinhauer, a missionary of The Methodist Church. By 1888, a new school building was under construction. Soon after, this day school would be referred to as “No. 2” while the school near the mission was called “No. 1.” As of 1896 almost 100 school-age children were registered at three schools, with the residential school, generally referred to as the “Orphanage,” having its own teacher. Despite discussions about possibly closing the two schools on the reserve, in 1897 the No. 1 Day School was renovated and repaired, and a new porch built. By 1899, most children on the reserve were sent to the McDougall Orphanage for classes and the two day schools were closed due to poor attendance. In January of 1902, the No. 1 Day School was reopened for children who could not attend the Orphanage. An inspection the following year referred to the school as “Morley, No. 1 (Bearspaw) Day School,” under The Methodist Church. After being closed for almost four years, in response to the closure of the McDougall Orphanage, in January 1909 a day school was opened on “Wesley’s band land” on the north side of the Bow River. By 1911, attendance was falling and it appears that the school was closed again for almost eight years, before reopening in 1920. During the 1920s and 30s, the school was open intermittently but attendance continued to decline. A Missionary Society publication noted that during 1924-1925 there were 34 Day pupils at the Morley Boarding School. By at least 1954, around 50-60 Day pupils attended classes at the Morley Residential School. Classes at the Morley RS contained a mix of day and residential pupils, with five teachers teaching Grades 1-8. Space in the United Church building was also rented for children in Grade 1. As some of the teachers were now hired and paid by the Department. By 1957, records show that a new, large four-room day school with an auditorium was operating on the reserve. The school was to be named “David Bearspaw Day School,” as requested by the Indian Council, and would be attended by both day and residential students. A Church-produced “Report on the Indian Work for 1960” indicated that policy was shifting to the integration of Indigenous children into public school systems at both the elementary and high school levels, which included bussing children to outside communities. The report also noted that Morley had about 180 children attending the day school in eight classrooms up to Grade 8. It was hoped that eventually the educational system at Morley would be entirely day school based. By 1963, the school had expanded to 10 teachers and 10 classrooms, with only a handful of children still living in residence. Correspondence from 1966 shows the day school consisted of three separate blocks: A “Senior School” as well as two “Junior Schools”. In 1968, the Morley Reserve was described as situated on the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, 30 miles west of Calgary and 30 miles east of Banff. By this time, the “Morley School” taught children from Kindergarten to Grade 7, while those in Grade 8 and higher attended schools off the reserve in the communities of Exshaw, Canmore, Springband and Calgary. Additional research is needed to determine when the day school closed, its general history and operation.
The Mount Elgin Day School was located near the River Thames on the Caradoc Reserve, near the town of Muncey, Ontario. It was operated by The United Church of Canada. The day school was opened after the closure of the Mount Elgin Residential School in 1946, and operated until 1992.
Oneida Day School was located in the township of Delaware, Middlesex County, Ontario. It was operated by the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Canada, after 1874 The Methodist Church of Canada and after 1925, The United Church of Canada. Wesleyan Methodist records from 1842 show there was a new day school for the Oneidas (part of the Six Nations at Grand River), and about 25 children were enrolled. During 1848-1849, the missionary noted that the Oneida Day School averaged around 33 children. Department of Indian Affairs records show a school at the “Oneidas on the Thames” in 1864 with a teacher paid for by the Wesleyan Missionary Board Fund. By 1874, the commissioner reported that there were now two or three schools “among the Oneidas being taught by native teachers of the bands.” At least one of these schools was supervised by the Wesleyan Methodist Church, while the Anglican Church managed the other(s). In 1878, one of the schools was moved to a new, frame schoolhouse, while a second schoolhouse was under construction. In 1882, a third schoolhouse on the Oneida Indian Reserve [now Oneida 41] was built and furnished by the band for children who could not conveniently attend the other two schools. In 1886, the Indian agent reported on School No. 1 at Oneida, which was “under the care of the resident Methodist missionary.” By 1887, Department ‘Statement of Day Schools’ records identified two Methodist-run day schools on the Oneida Reserve. The schools were referred to as “Oneida, No. 1,” and “Oneida, No. 3." Both schools had an average attendance of around 20 children and were funded by the “Indian School Fund” and the Methodist Missionary Society. In 1899, one of the three schools at Oneida closed and children were divided among the two remaining (this may have been The Methodist “No. 1 School” as 1899 is the last year it appears in ‘Statement of Day Schools’ records.) For the next decade the school was open but closed a few times due to various epidemics, and one of the schools' being used as a temporarily hospital. In 1912 the No. 3 School was being held in a new, brick building with a basement, furnace and teachers’ room. Thirty children attended the school. The Oneida Day School No. 3 was open during the 1920s and 30s with an average attendance of 20-30 children. Church records indicate that as of around 1967, there was still a school referred to as “Oneida No. 3” operating on the reserve, though Government records indicate all of the Oneida schools closed in 1968. Government records indicate The United Church of Canada was affiliated with Oneida No. 2 Day School, though there is little information about the school. Additional research is needed to learn more about the operation of the school(s) and their general history.
Oxford House Day School was located at Oxford House, Manitoba. It was operated by the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Canada, after 1874 The Methodist Church of Canada and after 1925 The United Church of Canada. Wesleyan Methodist records from 1854-1855 show that the missionary reported that it was not possible to start a school at Oxford House as fishing was very poor and families had to search for food to keep from starving. Despite this, it appears that a day school was soon opened for around 30 children. During the next twenty years, little is known about the school. A missionary report from 1882 noted an average attendance of almost 58. Department of Indian Affairs records state that as of 1913, the Oxford House Band had no reserve but lived on the shores of Oxford Lake, mostly in tents, a few houses and in winter camps. During the 1920s and 30s, the school was regularly open with an average attendance of between 10 and 30 children. It also appears to have been open during the 1940s. In 1954, Church correspondence mentioned two new Protestant schools—one at the former mission; the other, around the lake near the hospital. By 1957, there were plans for a third school at Oxford House and two teachers were requested. It is unclear which of these schools were affiliated with the United Church, but correspondence suggests that children were segregated on the basis of religion at the Oxford House Day School. By 1966, Oxford House was described as 150 miles east of Norway House with a church, a hall built in 1962 and “6 Protestant classrooms.” Government records suggest that the United Church-affiliated schools closed in 1962 and 1967. Additional research is needed to learn about the difference between the schools, their operations and general history.
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 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.
Rossville Day School was located at Norway House, Manitoba. It was operated by the Missionary Society of the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Canada, after 1874 The Methodist Church of Canada, and after 1925 The United Church of Canada. Rossville Mission was founded by the Wesleyan missionary James Evans in the fall of 1840, 2-3 miles north of Norway House. Along with some log buildings, a dwelling and a church, Evans also had a school built during that time. Little is known about the school for the next 15 years. Wesleyan Methodist records covering 1854-1855 show that during this time, there was a teacher and a building used as a schoolhouse at Rossville. In 1857, the missionary reported that the teacher was also learning Cree and involved in the domestic training of mothers and daughters. By this time, 101 children were enrolled at the day school with an average attendance of 45 to 50 students. Church records reported that the school was kept open the whole year, except for two weeks during the fall fishing season and for a short period during the annual goose hunt. By 1886, Department of Indian Affairs correspondence noted that there were “two schools in this reserve, a Government school on the Norway River and Methodist mission school at Rossville.” As of 1900, the Rossville Day School accepted both day pupils and children from the recently opened Norway House Residential School. For the next 30 years, little is known about the operation of Rossville Day School, but Department ‘Statement of Day Schools’ records show it remained open with an average attendance of 10-20 children. In 1934, Church officials recommended the amalgamation of teaching duties at the Norway House Residential School and Norway House Day School (this is likely an alternative name for the Rossville Day School). By 1955, plans were in place to build more day schools on the reserve but until they were completed, officials noted that the residential school gymnasium and “outside class-room” would continue to be used as day school spaces. In 1957, classes at the Norway House Residential School were amalgamated with the neighbouring day school into a 12-classroom system with an enrolment of over 360 children; (it is unclear if the day school being referred to in these documents is the Rossville Day School.) Government records suggest the Rossville Day School closed in 1957, though it is unclear whether this means it changed administrative hands or denominations there are still records referring to Rossville Day School. By 1959, it appears that both institutions were managed by the same principal. Records show there were four day school teachers and 110 children at the three-room day school. Another 30 children were enrolled at the “Playgreen School.” In March of 1965, there were 212 day pupils at Norway House. Due to overcrowding, a Church committee recommended that the Norway House Residential School be closed as soon as possible and the Home Mission Board negotiate with the government to have it “converted into classroom space and integrated into the day school program at Norway House.” It appears that from this point the day school was administered by the Federal Government and received children from any denomination. Further research is required to confirm the closure date of Rossville Day School, it's general history and operation.
Saddle Lake Day School was located on Saddle Lake 125, Alberta. It was operated by The Methodist Church of Canada and after 1925, The United Church of Canada. Department of Indian Affairs records indicate that in 1887 The Methodist Church purchased former Anglican mission buildings at Saddle Lake with plans to move them to the western boundary of the reserve and immediately open a day school for the Saddle Lake (Thomas Hunter’s) and Blue Quill Bands. The school was funded by a Department grant, and opened in January 1888. It closed due to low attendance during the 1904-1905 school year. In 1908, 10 acres were set aside north of Saddle Lake for a new church, parsonage and schoolhouse but it is unclear whether a new school was constructed. Although the inspector’s report from 1909 reported that the school building at Saddle Lake was unfit for use, the Department did not wish to build a new schoolhouse as they were uncertain of where the band would permanently locate. Consequently, classes were held in the old mission building. By 1911, the kitchen of the old mission building was being used as a classroom even though it was poorly furnished and unsuitable. It is unclear what became of the old schoolhouse owned by the Department. In 1916, the agent reported that “an Indian house is now being used as a school building,” but due to poor attendance little progress was made. Little is known about the school after 1925. By the 1960s, children at Saddle Lake were integrated into public schools. Additional research is needed obtain more information about the school and to determine when it closed.
Saugeen Village Day School was located on the Saugeen 29 Reserve near Chippewas, Ontario. It was operated by the Methodist Episcopal Church in Canada, after 1833 the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Canada, after 1874 The Methodist Church of Canada, and after 1925 The United Church of Canada . A Methodist Episcopal missionary report showed that by 1831, a schoolhouse was established “among the Indians of Sah-Geeng” [Saugeen] with 25 to 30 children. It was regularly open during the 1840s and 50s. In 1865, the school had an average daily attendance of 10, while 11 children were off the reserve hunting with their parents. During this time, a separate day school opened at nearby French Bay, five miles from the "Saugeen Village School". The teacher at French Bay was also appointed by the Wesleyan Society but the salary was paid from band funds. In 1882, the Indian agent advised that two schoolhouses were being built on the reserve—one at French Bay, the second in a central part of the reserve, both with houses for a teacher. The following year, the agent reported that there were now three schools operating on the reserve; French Bay, Scotch Settlement and Saugeen Indian Village. By 1894, a new schoolhouse that could hold 50 students had been completed in the village. The Department ‘Statement of Day Schools’ for 1897 identified the Saugeen Day School as “Undenominational.” It is unclear if the Methodist Missionary Society changed its relationship with the school at this time. The Society may have continued to be involved in the selection of teachers for the day school after 1897, as correspondence from 1908 onwards shows Church officials regularly communicated with the Department regarding issues at the school such teacher pay, qualifications and appointments. The day school closed in 1974. Further research is needed to learn more about its operations and general history.
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.
White Bear Day School was located at the east end of the Moose Mountains, nine miles north of Carlyle, Saskatchewan. It was operated by The Presbyterian Church in Canada, and after 1925 The United Church of Canada. In 1901 it was reported that the bands Pheasant Rump No. 68, Striped Blanket No. 69 and White Bear's No. 70 were amalgamated and living at White Bear Reserve. There was no Day School on the reserve, and some children were being sent to the nearby Qu'Appelle Residential School. By 1902 Department of Indian Affairs records indicate a day school was being built. White Bear’s Day School opened on October 28, 1902, under the first-time teacher, Miss Edith McDonald, and supervised by Mr. Dodds, the Presbyterian missionary. In 1907 it was reported that some children were being boarded by community members so they could attend the school. In 1911, correspondence notes that there “were formerly two Reserves, fifteen miles apart, but one of these was sold and the Indians were gathered upon the other.” This may explain why attendance increased after 1911. By 1912, the school had a “field matron” who was responsible for preparing a mid-day meal for the children and also taught domestic science.” By 1929, the Women’s Missionary Society of The United Church of Canada was responsible for providing a teacher to the day school. By the 1940s, there were almost 35 children in six grades. In 1945 the teacher was receiving a salary paid directly from the Department of Indian Affairs, suggesting the day school teachers were now Department employees. By the 1950s, it appears that school attendance had grown to a point where two teachers were needed. In September 1955, a new school building was opened. In 1957 a new residence was built near the school, and in 1958 teachers described the school was crowded. Attendance figures for this period show 60 pupils in grades one to eight, while another 40 children were taken to the composite school in Carlyle. Government records suggest the school was open until 1987. Further research is required to learn more about its general history and operation.
Whitecap Sioux Day School was located at Moose Woods on the White Cap Reserve (Moose Woods Sioux Reserve), Saskatchewan. It was operated by The Methodist Church in Canada and after 1925, The United Church of Canada. It appears that a Methodist-run day school at Moose Woods (White Cap’s Reserve) was opened in 1889 under the missionary and his wife, and received a grant from the Department of Indian Affairs. The school’s location was described as 18 miles south of Saskatoon, on the east side of the south branch of the Saskatchewan River. Between 1907 and 1914, the school was likely closed as no information was found in Department records. After reopening in July 1914, a day school at Moose Woods continued to operate until at least the 1970s. By 1926, a United Church of Canada publication noted that the teacher and nurse at Moose Woods were appointed by the Church and maintained by the Department. Records indicate that by the 1940s, the Board of Home Missions of the United Church still appointed or nominated teachers. The school remained open throughout the 1950s but by 1968 only Grades 1-3 (15 children) attended school on the reserve, while those in higher grades (15 children) were bussed to Saskatoon every day to attend classes. High school students from the reserve were often boarded in Saskatoon. Government records indicate the school closed in 1981. Further research is required to learn more about its general history.