KAWARTHA LAKES-From the mid-nineteenth until the mid-twentieth century, schooling was based upon local (township or village) school boards operating school sections, designed so that there was a school within walking distance of (practically) every child. At Rettie’s Crossing (now Burnt River) the original log school was located across the road from the present-day cemetery. Though it was replaced by a frame school, by 1900, 108 students were enrolled, all taught in a single room by one teacher. It was so crowded that there were even desks up against the blackboards!
When the new school was constructed in 1900, one of the village’s largest employers was the stone quarry, located just south of the village on the railway line. Having this convenient source made stone a practical building material. Constructed just north of the village, the new stone school was a striking building in the age of wooden construction. Built to accommodate 100 students, it had 5 rows, each containing 8 double desks. The school taught agriculture from 1919 until the 1930s. In 1933, the Burnt River Women’s Institute raised funds to help cover the cost of a music teacher—which then became a regular part of the curriculum. Though enrolment had declined by about 1/5 when the stone quarry closed, an addition on the front of the building in 1935 allowed it to accommodate continuation classes (now called secondary school). The next year, indoor plumbing obviated the need for students to use an outhouse, even in winter.
With the advent of school bussing circa 1950, it became possible to create centralized schools. In 1951, the Victoria County District High School Board formed and quickly amalgamated all of the northern continuation schools into Fenelon Falls High School. By the 1960s, it was also becoming the norm to bus public school students to village schools, as neighbourhood one room schools were closing. The stone school was replaced by a new three-room structure on the main street. In 1989, the Victoria County District School Board ordered further consolidation, as all northern students would be taught at Coboconk or Kirkfield. The last class graduated from Burnt River Public School in 1991, then the building became the post office, library and eventually the fire station. Though the library closed, both the stone school and its successor still stand. The stone school is now a private residence.
This story is part of our partnership with Maryboro Lodge, The Fenelon Falls Museum and was written by Glenn Walker.
If you want to make a donation to the museum, you can e-transfer to: [email protected] or mail a cheque to :
Maryboro Lodge Museum
Box 179
50 Oak Street
Fenelon Falls, ON
K0M 1N0
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