10-019: Memoirs of Oscar Palsson, Former Rural School Teacher

 

Teaching experience in Peace River:

1. April and June 1933 – Sunnybrook School

2. Sept. 1936 to June 1938 – Upper Cutbank (formerly Henshaw)

3. May and June 1940 – sub in several schools – 2 week period at

Groundbirch

4. Sept. 1940 to June 1942 – Progress Superior School

(April, May and June 1941 – Dawson Creek Elementary, Jr. Sr. High

School)

5. Sept. 1942 – June 1944 – Vice Principal, Dawson Creek Elementary Jr.

Sr. High School

 

Comments:

I believe that all who taught up there during that time are grateful for the experience. Economic conditions were bad and so physical conditions; equipment and supplies sometimes left much to be desired. However, these factors were not the deterrent they would be today to lessen the enthusiasm of teachers for their work. On the contrary, they made teachers more self-reliant and more ingenious in supplementing the materials they needed. Although salaries were meager, there were very few teachers who did not supplement the schools supplies from their earnings and there was little or no resentment about doing so.

Re-changes when the larger administration unit was initiated:

To many teachers it made little difference regarding supplies and equipment. To others, the ease of getting supplies was certainly increased. I have no idea of the savings resulted from the consolidation but they must have been considerable. Certainly to some teachers jealousies and petty intrigues which were evident in some of the small districts were eliminated by the organization of the large administrative unit. I think that Dr. English’s personality along with his competent secretary, Eva Mirrell, did much to eliminate any resentment the general public may have had in doing away with the small school boards. Looking back I think we did a tremendous job — I now have, by comparison, as many pupils in my Cowichan Lake School as we had in all of Dawson Creek in 1943 – 1944.

There were some interesting incidents. One concerned District Superintendent Fred McLellan and myself. We set out early one day touring all the local schools in the South Peace to determine any surplus supplies or equipment they might have that could be brought into the Dawson Creek school. At Swan Lake were learned of an empty school, fully equipped not too far away so we left instructions for a local trucker to empty the place and haul pupils, desks, teachers desk — in fact everything in the building to Dawson Creek. And, he was told, if he could not find out who had the key to the building, he was to break down the door. That evening in reporting our success to Miss Lucelle Letham, the Dawson Creek principal, and Miss Cathie Hood, her room mate and one of the elementary teaching staff, I mentioned this bonanza of a fully equipped school, to be had for the taking. Cathie, who taught out that way, informed me that this particular school was situated on the Alberta side of the border. Fortunately, I was able to contact Superintendent McLellan early enough the next morning to inform him and he made it out to the truck driver’s place before any damage was done.

We had a bit of grief and all incidents were not too funny. However, we tend to forget the unhappy affairs, which is a good thing.