Glenmoore School, Thalberg

This school district was formed by an award of arbitrators, dated March 1, 1939, to consist of Sec. 20, 21, 22, N 1/2 of 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36 in tp. 15-8E, and Sec. 2 and 3, E 1/2 of Sec. 4, in at 16-8E.

The Arbitrators met at Stead on March I, 1939 in the matter of the petition of H.P. Otta, August Rach and Gettlieb Patzer praying for a new school district.

They heard all of the interested parties and finally decided that lands should be detached from the Woodrow S.D. and the South Thalberg S.D. No. 1411 to make up Glenmoore.

The Arbitrators were: N.J. Stryk, Theo Mikolash and Peter Kandartiuk. The Inspector, Mr. H. Connolly was Secretary and recorded the proceedings of the hearing. The hearing cost the three municipality. (St. Clements, Lac du Bonnet and Brokenhead) $30.00.

Mr. Connolly, as Sec. of the Arbitration Board, when he forwarded a copy of the award to St. Clements, called it the “award re-information of Plewes S.D. No. 2293”. However, it continued to be called Glenmoore S.D. No. 2293 in all the records we have on hand.

The Assessment within the school district in 1939 totalled about $23,190 based on 7,505 acres (the taxable acreage was 7,505 with assessment 23,190) The mill rate
was struck at 38. The school district, by June 1939, were advised that the raised levy for Glenmoore would be $180 by way of General Tax, $955 by Special Tax. St. Clements was to raise, by Special Tax $848 and $160 by General Tax. The legislative grant would be only $80.00.

The Deputy Minister, R. Fletcher, on June 14, 1939 advised C.C. McNeil, Sec. Treas. of St. Clements that the Glenmoore S.D. No. 2293 intended to erect its school on the co-operative plan. This plan was one in which the ratepayers would contribute certain rough material and labour free and the Dept. of Educ. would assist with the finishing material.

In order to do this, the school had to place a certain sum in its levy for 1939 for the school building and site. The idea was that each ratepayer could pay his share of the levy for this purpose by contributing material and/or labour to the district. The ratepayer then gets from the school an order on the munc. for the amount he has earned. The munc. accepts this order as a payment on account of his taxes and charges the amount against the school district.

The school budgeted $650. for the school building and $60 for the site and allowed only about $225 for the teaching staff and $30 for fuel during the first year of operation.

The first teacher they hired was Irene Evelyn Hunchak, who was soon replaced by Lily Schaefer. The Sec. Treas. was R.F. Otto and the chairman of the Board was A.G. Kurbis.

The school district got into arrears and by late 1944, the Munc. of St. Clements owed about $145.50 to the Glenmoore School. The district signed a release accepting half ($72.75) in settlement of arrears.

In Aug. of 1949 a group petitioned from Glenmoore to have a new school district formed. The petitioners were:

Wm. Kowalke, William Bychuk, Nick Rogocki, Mike Bychuk, Walter Pochal and Adolph Heckert. Another Board of Arbitration was set up. Gerald Smith of East Selkirk represented the St. Clements Munc. and Miles Long bottom sat for Lac Du Bonnet and Great Falls and Beausejour were represented. The first meeting of the Arbitrators was held in the Munc. Hall in Beausejour Jan. 27, 1950 and on this day the petition was denied by Award of Arbitrators. Mr. B. Warkentin was the Sec. of the Board.

By Nov. 14, 1950 the Munc. of St. Clements had confirmed the boundary of Glenmoore as being (by law No. 1207) Sec. 20, 21, 22, N 1/2 of 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36 in tp. l5-8E.

R,F. Otto continued on as Sec. Treas. of Glenmoore and by Dec. 1956 he advised the ratepayers of his school district that the 1956 assessment of the S.D. was $57,420 while the General Mill Rate was l0 Mills, the Special Mill Rate had reached 37 Mills that year. The Secondary rate was about 4 mills.

In 1956, the S.D. received about $2200. The munc. Of St. Clements paid them about $450 and they received an amount from another Munc. (Union) and then the Dept. of Educ. gave them the balance to make up the $2200.

In 1957, the assessment was the same but the General School levy was increased to 11 mills and the Special School levy had reached 71 mills. However, in 1958 the assessment, according to records, had reached about $201,270 in St. Clements and the general Mill rate was reduced to 4.6 Mills while the special Mill Rate was back down to about 20.2 Mills.

William Zirk became Sec. Treas. during 1959/60 and the Dept. of Educ. had passed legislation enforcing all school districts to have their books audited by only qualified personnel. In Jan. 1960, Mr. Zirk was advised that during 1959 St. Clements had forwarded two payments of $1,934.50 and one of $391 .00. Also that 1/2 of the 1959 Special Levy owing by St. Clements amounting to $2,318.52 was sent to the Agassiz Division on Nov. 10, 1959. The Municipal share of General levy was also sent to the Division offices.

Early in 1962, St. Clements advised Mr. William Zirk that the municipality had to, in 1961, levy an amount of $6,500 over that portion of the municipality included in the Agassiz Side. The mill rate was 7.7. The rate of levy depended on the balanced assessment of the Division and the number of teachers, In return for the amount raised by general levy, the Province of Manitoba, puts up the balance to pay each local school district.

There were now 3 types of levies: a general type, a special Division levy made up of requirements for high school over and above grants, and finally, the special levy on each school district for its requirements over and above grants.

Things were starting to get complicated and by Feb. 1962, Mr. Zirk had written the Munc. of St. Clements asking for further clarification. Mr. Zirk wrote:

“Sir, the ratepayers of Glenmoore S.D. would like to know where the General School Tax goes to. This subject was discussed at the last Annual Meeting and the Sec. Treas. was asked these questions. So please let me know where the General Tax goes, so I can explain it to the trustees and ratepayers at the next meeting. ”

Consolidation of districts was being carried out and the formation of divisions was being declared.

The Glenmoore S.D. No. 2293 was finally dissolved effective Jan. l, 1968. It became a part of the Agassiz S.D. No. 13 which had been declared a division under the meaning of Sec. 443 of the Public School Act outlined in the Ministerial Order dated Dec. 21, 1967.

To the best of my knowledge Glenmoore only had 2 Sec. Treas. namely R.F. Otto and William Zirk from 1939 to 1967 .

The teachers who taught at Glenmoore from its inception up to Consolidation time are listed here for your interest:

Irene Evelyn Hunchak 1940
Lily Schaefer 1940-1941
Catherine Isaak l94l-1943
Eleanor Olga Neuman 1943
Cornelius John Jaenen 1944
Ivan J. Packulak 1944-1945
Clarence Wm. Trapp 1945-1946
Douglas Fred Patterson 194?-1948
Harold Arthur Barhgate 1948,1949
Charles Joe Salinos 1949-1950
Olga Zaborniak 1951
George Sandford Ward 1951
Mrs. Iris J. Kolody 1952
John Oberton 1952,1953
lgnarius Jos. Zaborniak 1953 1954
John Oberton 1954-1957
Miss Louise Walker 1956-1957
Anthony Kozachenko 1957-1958
Thomas Ladobruk 1957-1959
Myron E. Smuk 1959-1966
Thomas Lodobruk l96l
Joyce Gmiterek l96l-1962

Submitted by slh.

Posted in Schools.