Reston Schools’ History from the Pages of the Newspapers

Newspapers hold a wealth of old information and today's post began with a Brandon Sun article from July 25, 1968  that I found on Ancestry while researching Pushmobile winner Bruce Hunter from last week's post. I previously wrote a timeline of Reston Schools here but this article seemed to fill in a few more personal notes.  It was written by Helen (Manning) Ready, a sister to longtime publisher Russell Manning and lifelong Reston resident herself.  I have come across a few of her articles in the Brandon Sun's archives and they are always informative.  Helen ran the Reston Recorder with her Uncle Arthur in 1945 when her father Frank passed away and her brother Russell was still overseas. 

Thursday, July 25, 1968 The Brandon Sun : Start to Demolish School: By Mrs. J. D. Ready

Reston (Special) The two story four room yellow brick school which served as a landmark for 62 years is now being torn down and it is with a touch of nostalgia that the elder residents see this happening.

The school which dominated the landscape was built in 1905 and served as both public and high school until 1926 when a two room high was built.

Both schools were sold by auction last year and the two room school was torn down during the winter and the four room school went for the sum of $50 the original cost being about $5000.

Principal was the late Arthur J Manning until in 1928 when he was appointed inspector of schools and moved to Carmen. For years he taught all subjects in grade 9 to 11 before grade 12 was introduced. An excellent teacher and disciplinarian - his pupils usually passed.

From these halls of learning many went on to become teachers, doctors, scientist, bankers, office workers, and farmers and are scattered in all parts of the world.

Among those who went to the school here were Dr. Bruce Hunter, Brandon: Raymond Evans, now Queens printer: Tom Wilkins, editor of Killarney Guide: Burt McKay, editor of World-Spectator Moosomin, Sask: F. Russell Manning, editor of Reston Recorder.

Among the first primary teachers was Miss Z. Collins, still living in Miami, Manitoba. Miss A. H. Strachan, who came from Scotland and is now retired taught on two separate occasions. Her pupils remember her with affection. Miss Thomas - a gentle Welsh lady who also taught on two occasions.

The upper story was once the high school classes and grade 7 and 8, also a teachers room where necessary discipline was inflicted, also the small lab and Library and the room from which the bell tolled. Many pupils vied for the honour of pulling the bell rope, until they realized it was really work. Strange how the enthusiasm waned then.

The quickest way to get downstairs was found to slide down the broad bannister, that is unless a teacher happened to be at the bottom. The heating was steam and the radiators clanged, gurgled and hissed.

A story is told of boys pinning clothes pins on Mr. Manning‘s coat tails and as he walked up and down the clothes pins clanged on the radiators. As he was slightly deaf, this caused a lot of amusement, but it is probable he soon found the cause of the fun and quietly removed the pins, saying not a word. He had quite a sense of humor.

Another story tells how a boy was sent to get the strap for the teacher and Mr. Manning gave it to him instead. His remark was that while the boy might not have deserved it at that time he probably had at others. The boy happened to be his nephew. He was almost fair and always impartial.

Other principals who later became school inspectors included Clarence Voight of Dauphin, John C. Callander of Russell, and Robert McIntosh of Morden. A number of students paid the supreme sacrifice in the Two World Wars.  (Sharon - including Helen's own son Flight Officer Robert Franklin Ready) 

A modern elementary school with nine classrooms was opened in 1967 and cost $214,995. There is also a new Reston collegiate institute built a few years ago and enlarged in 1967.

As a link to the past with the present the bell and nameplate of the two room school is to be incorporated in a cairn in front of the new school.

Thanks to Delwyn and Shirley Bulloch for this picture of the high school on the left and elementary on the right. 

That reminded me of a couple of front page stories that I took pictures of with my phone while thumbing through the Recorder Archives in their office early in 2020.  In September of 1961,  P. Stuart Parker from Winnipeg was asked by the school board on to lay the cornerstone for the new school as part of his role of Grand Master of the Masonic Lodge.  This event captured by the Recorder just over 60 years ago was also witnessed by community members, the school children and Masonic Lodge members from all over Manitoba who had marched from the Lodge at the corner of Third Avenue and Fourth Street.  The Reston Junior School Band under Max White led their procession and provided music during the event as. Frank Patmore, vice chairman of Fort La Bosse School Division, Mason and Pipestone resident spoke on behalf of the board. Doug Watt, MLA spoke on behalf of the provincial government. The new collegiate was of the new one story stucco and brick design and served the entire district as a high school for Grades 9 to 12 under the authority of the Fort La Bosse School Division.  The school was enlarged in 1967, post-war baby boomers had the classrooms filled to the brim.   

Also in 1967, the community proudly saw the opening of Reston Elementary School.  The Opening Ceremony Committee gave a nod to the past and to the future with their choices of participants as noted in the clippings above. Jack Mayberry, a member of the school board, read a list of the contents of the cornerstone before it was laid by Master Mason Murdoch McIver. (Wouldn't you love to know what was on that list?)  Alvin Lazenby,  chair of the Fort La Bosse School Division was Master of Ceremonies which included O Canada, a scripture reading and prayer along with God Save the Queen at the end.  The girls in Grade 7 and 8 sang two numbers under the direction of Mrs. Inez McMorran. Ribbon cutting and key passing were also parts of the ceremony. 

Ceremonies, citizens and buildings come and go but I am so grateful that these days were recorded on the pages of newspapers that I have access to today.  Will that be the case with the digital social media news of today?