The Dore Lake School

"I began working as a Teacher's Aide in 1974. There have been moments of despair, but they were few and far between. It has been a chapter in my life I wouldn't have wanted to miss. I have enjoyed working with the teachers that have been employed at the school, and I have enjoyed the children very much."

Prior to 1960, no school existed in Dore Lake. Children of school age received their education through the Regina School of Correspondence. The parents of these children acted as teachers. By 1960, there was enough school age children to acquire a teacher and establish a school. It was decided that the school be established at the South End of Dore, where the road terminated. This meant that all families wishing to send their children to the new school had to move their homes, from around the lake to the South End of Dore Lake. School officially opened in September 1960, at the D.N.R. garage. The children used picnic tables as desks and Michael Parchewsky, the first teacher, used a Coca-Cola blackboard to write on. School was held in the garage until Christmas. That winter, Dore Lake acquired an old school house from Maiden Lake, Saskatchewan. The community did not receive this building earlier, because the Diefenbaker Bridge in Prince Albert was still under construction and transportation of the school could not be done, on the narrow, old Prince Albert bridge.

The Department of Education leased an area of land, a quarter of a mile south of South End, along the Dore Lake Road, for the school house. A basement was dug on the site, by the people of the community, before the school arrived. The Department of Education supplied a foreman to assist the community workers, who laboured voluntarily. The men put up the forms and poured the cement for a foundation. The teacherage was constructed at D.N.S. Point, a quarter mile north of the school, in the spring of 1961.

The Dore Lake School Board was organized by the residents in 1960. During the early years, the Board kept the school repaired, organized parents to cut wood to heat the school, and put on bingos and dances to raise money for Christmas and picnics.

In 1970, the old school house was abandoned and a trailer was transported to Dore from Turnor Lake. At one time, this trailer housed thirty-two Dore Lake children from kindergarten to grade eight.

During the early years there were many minor accidents, such as the usual frozen sewers and the occasional breakdown of the school's power plant, which caused the school to be temporarily closed down.

There was one important incident that the residents of Dore will never forget. In 1972, Paul La Pointe, teacher of the school, died of carbon monoxide fumes. Mr. La Pointe was found inside the teacherage, passed out on the floor. He was rushed to Big River Hospital by Harry Edquist. Unfortunately, Paul never recovered and died two days later.

In 1976, the old school house was torn down and a new modern school was erected on the site. Bomack Construction, from Saskatoon was hired to do the job. Local people such as Joe Rickalton, George La Fleur, Leonard La Fontaine, Victor Durocher and others were employed by Bomack. The new school was officially opened by Ted Bowerman in 1977. A new teacherage was also built adjacent to the school in 1975. Victor Durocher, Mervin McKay, George Durocher, Johnnie Schloegel and other residents, were employed by the Board of Education to complete the job.

The community had accepted some responsibility for maintaining the school throughout the years. However, there were a few who maintained it daily. Tom McBride did maintenance and janitorial work from 1961 to 1970. When Agnes Baily taught from 1970 to 1972, her husband, Bob, maintained the school. When the Baily's left Dore Lake, Eileen and Harry Edquist were hired to maintain the school.

In the fall of 1966, a transportation service was supplied by the Board of Education to bus the Sled lake school children to Dore Lake. Harry Edquist was the bus driver from 1966 to 1976. In 1976, George La Fleur from Sled lake, was employed as the bus driver.

The following is a list of the teachers who were employed at the school from 1960 to 1982.