Fonds 113 East Smoky School Division No. 54 fonds

Back to Finding Aids

Summary information

Repository: South Peace Regional Archives
Title: East Smoky School Division No. 54 fonds
Reference code: 0113
Date: 1930-1991 (date of creation)
Physical description: 157 cm textual records
Dates of creation, revision and deletion: Processed by Mary Nutting August 2004
Added to new database September 2024 – TD

Administrative history / Biographical sketch

The East Smoky School Division No. 54 was established February 19, 1945 by Proclamation of the Alberta Government Department of Education. The division covered schools east of the Smoky River with Valleyview as its eastern border, which in 1945 was 13 school districts: Calais No. 3992, Edson Trail No. 4082, East Smoky No. 4198, Ridgevalley No 4563, Sturgeon Heights No. 4606, Darwin No. 4639, Mountain Springs No. 4640, Clarkson Valley No. 4663, Smoky Valley No. 4682, Cornwall No. 4700, Simonette No. 4750, Ravenna No. 4822, and Sturgeon No. 4858.

Until the division was formed, each school district operated under its own board: building schools, hiring teachers and collecting its own taxes. The formation of a school division was seen as a way for the schools to have collective power and economies of scale. Capital projects, school supplies, financial records and hiring of teachers was a responsibility of the division, leaving the local parent board able to concentrate on the upkeep and day to day operation. Mr. Carl B. Johnson was the first Superintendent of the East Smoky School Division and Robert Mehlum was the secretary-treasurer, operating out of the divisional office in DeBolt. He was responsible for getting supplies, both educational and janitorial, out to the teachers in each small school.

Under the direction of the division, schools which were still using outdoor washrooms and barrel wood stoves for heating were modernized with furnaces and indoor plumbing. As teachers became harder to recruit, the small schools were combined into centralized schools, the final move being to Ridgevalley.

With more settlers coming into the Peace Country, East Smoky School Division continued to expand as new school districts were added. Later the division was enlarged to include Valleyview and Fox Creek, and a new divisional office built at Valleyview, then a more centralized location. Eventually it was responsible for nine schools with students from approximately 75 school districts. About the mid 90s, school divisions in the Province of Alberta were re-organized, and the East Smoky School Division area was divided between Peace Wapiti School Division and the Northern Gateway Division.

In 1988, the East Smoky School Division No. 54, with the assistance of Marie Stevenson, Mary Werklund, Elsie Kronholm and Irene Riding to do the research and the writing, published a book called Beginnings, which chronicles the history of the Division and its preceding school districts.

Custodial history

The records were preserved by DeBolt and District Pioneer Museum and transferred to Grande Prairie Regional Archives in 2001.

Scope and content

The fonds consists of one Capital Account Receipt Book from the East Smoky School Division for 1956-1961 which records debenture, grant and capital information; and financial records and Daily Registers from School Districts around DeBolt, some of the earliest districts in the division: Clarkson Valley (4663), Cornwall (4700), Darwin (4639), East Smoky (4198), Edson Trail (4082), Harper Creek (4968), Mountain Springs (4640), North Goodwin (5002), Ravenna (4822), Ridgevalley (4563), Simonette (4750), Smoky Valley (4682), Sturgeon Heights (4606), Sturgeon Lake (4858) and Valleyview (Calais, Sun Valley) School District 3992. The financial records consist mainly of Cash Books from before the formation of the East Smoky School Division, and detail receipts and expenses such as government grants, teachers’ salaries and building costs. The registers record the name, birth date, post office address, parents’ names, and addresses of each pupil. There are Annual Financial Statements and Audited Reports, teachers’ declarations, yearly summaries called teachers’ returns, and transfer, attendance and promotion records. The research files and proof copy of the book Beginnings are also included with the collection.

Notes

Title notes

  • Source of title proper: Title of fonds based on contents.

Restrictions on access

Advance notice required to view records stored in freezer due to some mold contamination.

Access points

  • Textual record (documentary form)
  • Education (subject)

Table of contents

0113.01, East Smoky School Division No. 54 series, 1945-1983

0113.02, Clarkson Valley School District No. 4663 series, 1937-1945

0113.03, Cornwall School District No. 4700 series, 1937-1959

0113.04, Darwin School District No. 4639 series, 1935-1954

0113.05, East Smoky School District No. 4198 series, 1937-1954

0113.06, Edson Trail School District No. 4082 series, 1936-1959

0113.07, Harper Creek School District No. 4968 series, 1950-1957

0113.08, Mountain Springs School District No. 4640 series, 1941-1954

0113.09, North Goodwin School District No. 5002 series, 1952-1959

0113.10, Ravenna School District No. 4822 series, 1938-1954

0113.11, Ridgevalley School District No. 4563 series, 1943-1963

0113.12, Simonette School District No. 4750 series, 1938-1957

0113.13, Smoky Valley School District No. 4682 series, 1936-1955

0113.14, Sturgeon Heights School District No. 4606 series, 1944-1955

0113.15, Sturgeon Lake School District No. 4858 series, 1942-1955

0113.16, Valleyview (Calais, Sun Valley) School District No. 3992 series, 1944-1959

0113.17, “Beginnings” book files series, [1930]-1991

Series descriptions

Series 0113.01: East Smoky School Division No. 54 series

Date: 1945-1983 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of 1 Capital Account Receipt Book receipting transfers between operational, capital, grant and debenture accounts by the administration for schools in the East Smoky School Division No. 54; financial statements for the school division from 1945-1947; and some copies of collective agreements between the Alberta Teachers Association and the East Smoky School Division from 1969-1983.

Physical description: 1 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

Series 0113.02: Clarkson Valley School District No. 4663 series

Date: 1937-1945 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of 8 Daily Registers from 1945-1955; annual promotion records, attendance and classification reports from 1944-1956; 2 Cash Account Books detailing receipts and payments for Clarkson Valley School District No. 4663 before it was annexed by the East Smoky School Division in 1945.

Physical description: 2 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

Series 0113.03: Cornwall School District No. 4700 series

Date: 1937-1959 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of 6 Daily Registers for Cornwall School District No. 4700, and 1 Cash Account Book detailing receipts and payments for the school district before it was annexed by the East Smoky School Division in 1945.

Physical description: 4 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

Series 0113.04: Darwin School District No. 4639 series

Date: 1935-1954 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of 8 Daily Registers for Darwin School District No. 4639, and 2 Cash Account Books detailing receipts and payments for the school district before it was annexed by the East Smoky School Division in 1945.

Physical description: 5 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

Series 0113.05: East Smoky School District No. 4198 series

Date: 1937-1954 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of 9 Daily Registers for East Smoky School District No. 4198 from about the time of the formation of the East Smoky School Division in 1945 until the school’s closure, and 1 Cash Account Book detailing receipts and payments for the school district before it was annexed by the East Smoky School Division.

Physical description: 6 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

Series 0113.06: Edson Trail School District No. 4082 series

Date: 1936-1959 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of 30 Daily Registers from the first Edson Trail School in 1936 until the move to Ridgevalley School in 1959; a file of 1938-39 correspondence, a file of 1943-1944 financial records, annual forms and reports for 1943-1965, and a collection of 1927-1928 report cards. There is also a Tax Roll ledger from 1935-43 which gives the name of the ratepayer, address, legal description of property, assessed value, mill rate, amount of taxes, and payment record; and 1 Cash Account Book detailing receipts and payments for the school district before it was annexed by the East Smoky School Division in 1945.

Physical description: 17 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

Series 0113.07: Harper Creek School District No. 4968 series

Date: 1950-1957 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of 7 Daily Registers from Harper Creek School District No. 4968 for the entire time of its operation, as well as attendance and promotion records.

Physical description: 3 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

Series 0113.08: Mountain Springs School District No. 4640 series

Date: 1941-1954 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of 9 Daily Registers from Mountain Springs School District No. 4640, from about the time of the district’s annexation by East Smoky School Division until its closure in 1954, and 1 Cash Account Book detailing receipts and payments for the school district before the East Smoky School Division was formed.

Physical description: 5.5 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

Series 0113.09: North Goodwin School District No. 5002 series

Date: 1952-1959 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of 7 Daily Registers from the time North Goodwin School opened to the time of consolidation.

Physical description: 3 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

Series 0113.10: Ravenna School District No. 4822 series

Date: 1938-1954 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of 1 Cash Account Book detailing receipts and payments for Ravenna School District No. 4822 before it was annexed by the East Smoky School Division in 1945.

Physical description: 7.5 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

Series 0113.11: Ridgevalley School District No. 4563 series

Date: 1943-1963 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of 37 Daily Registers from Ridgevalley School District No. 4563, 1 file of reports (Attendance and Classification, Promotion Records, Teacher’s Returns, Teacher’s Declarations and School Census) from 1944-1959, and 1 Cash Account Book detailing receipts and payments for the school district before it was annexed by the East Smoky School Division in 1945.

Physical description: 22 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

Series 0113.12: Simonette School District No. 4750 series

Date: 1938-1957 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of 11 Daily Registers for Simonette School District No. 4750 dating from the time of amalgamation with the East Smoky School Division, 1 bank book, and 1 Cash Account Book detailing receipts and payments for the school district before it was annexed by the East Smoky School Division in 1945.

Physical description: 6 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

Series 0113.13: Smoky Valley School District No. 4682 series

Date: 1936-1955 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of 16 Daily Registers for Smoky Valley School from the time it opened to the time the school was closed, and a folder of class records such as census, promotion records and transfer cards.

Physical description: 8 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

Series 0113.14: Sturgeon Heights School District No. 4606 series

Date: 1944-1955 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of 9 Daily Registers from Sturgeon Heights School District No. 4606 after the formation of the East Smoky School Division in 1945, and 1 Cash Account Book detailing receipts and payments for the school district before it was annexed by the East Smoky School Division.

Physical description: 4 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

Series 0113.15: Sturgeon Lake School District No. 4858 series

Date: 1942-1955 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of 13 Class registers from 1942-1955 and a folder of class records such as census lists, promotion records and transfer cards.

Physical description: 5 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

Series 0113.16: Valleyview (Calais, Sun Valley) School District No. 3992 series

Date: 1944-1959 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of 78 School registers: under the name of Calais from 1944 to 1951; under the name of Sun Valley from 1951 to 1959 ; and under the name of Valleyview from 1958 to 1959. There is also two folders of miscellaneous correspondence, class records and transfer cards.

Physical description: 36 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

Series 0113.17: “Beginnings” book files series

Date: [1930]-1991 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of research files on the schools, hand-drawn illustrations and land-ownership maps and the proof copy sent to Friesen Printers. There are also some original documents: a cash book from Edson Trail School, correspondence from the Valleyview Home & School, teachers’ hand-books from the Division, lists of original members for the small schools, and memories of teachers/families re: schools.

Physical description: 15 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published