The largest geographical school division in Canada is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
With borders spanning across Manitoba’s north and as far south as Dauphin, Frontier School Division includes 42 schools in 40 communities, including Cranberry Portage.
A total of 6,817 students are taught by 589 teachers throughout the division. An additional 845 support staff are employed.
“We have some very large schools and some very small schools,” explains Marion Pearson, vice-chair of the board of trustees for Frontier School Division.
Whatever the size of the school they are attending, students receive the same education as programs are run across the entire division, Pearson said.
Throughout the year, each school within Frontier will be hosting anniversary celebrations to mark
the milestone.
Each student will receive a commemorative cap as a keepsake of the occasion, and a special flag has been designed to be flown at each school.
In addition, a line of anniversary merchandise is being created and will be available for members of the schools and communities to purchase.
“We are also working on a video that will recap the last 50 years, and we are looking forward to sharing that with the communities,” said Pearson.
There have been many changes over the history of the division, with the most recent construction of a school occurring in Moose Lake about four years ago, according to Pearson.
Currently the focus has turned to the construction of a school in South Indian Lake. Pearson explained the community badly needs a new school as the current building is very old.
The project is on the government list for capital projects and the division will be working with both the federal and provincial levels to complete the project.
While the size of the division is often a challenge, Pearson said students are well served.
“The entire division runs very well,” she said. “We have a lot of respect and cooperation back and forth between the communities we supply service to.”
