This old Springbank schoolhouse was built in 1903, to replace or supplement a log school built in 1887. Although local newspapers covered very trivial events at that time — even names of visitors were published — I could find nothing published around 1903 about the opening of the new school. However, retrospective pieces about the Springbank area confirmed this date.
Springbank Cottage Child Care has used the building for over 20 years (as of 2024).
TIMELINE and COMMUNITY CONTEXT
1887 - The Spring Bank School District No. 100 is created, and a log school is built. Some reports say it was half a mile from the 1903 Springbank schoolhouse (perhaps where the Springbank Heritage Club is now). Other writers say it was at the same site as the 1903 building. The first class is held on July 3. It has ten students and is taught by Miss Lottie Cowan.
1894 - Springbank Union Church is built on the site now occupied by the Springbank Community High School and the Springbank Park for All Seasons (the intersection of Range Road 33 and Springbank Road), 1.5km (0.9 mi) south of the 1903 school. Although the church is gone, the abandoned church cemetery continues to mark the site.
1903 - Springbank schoolhouse is built as a one-room frame school, to replace the overcrowded log school.
1905 - A community hall is built about 50m (165 ft) north of the 1903 Springbank schoolhouse. (In May 2018, it developed some alarming structural defects and was condemned (
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1910 - The Springbank Methodist Church is completed, 3.2 km (2 miles) north of the Springbank Union Church and 1.7 km (1.1 miles) north of the old Springbank schoolhouse (NW corner of Range Road 33 and Township Road 250).
1928 - A second room is added to the Springbank schoolhouse, for grades 7 to 11.
1937 - Springbank marks 50th anniversary of its first school.
1939 - Most students ride horses to school; the school's barn can hold 30 horses. School janitor Robert Buckley is 14 years old. He rides five miles to school every morning, regardless of weather, to get the heat going before teacher and students arrive. The school has two teachers, one for the lower grades (junior room) and one for the higher grades (senior room).
1951 - The school has three teachers and three classrooms. A three-room addition to the school is under construction as the new school year begins.
May 2025 - School is slated for demolition in summer after significant structural issues are uncovered.
PHOTO LINKS
I was able to find some photos that are clearly of this school. Note that it was built with very large windows, to maximize natural light. Rural electrification and central heating have caused the windows to be much reduced in size since the photos were taken
Children outside schoolhouse at Springbank, Alberta. Many of the children are on horseback. 1905 photo. (
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Springbank School, Springbank, Alberta. 1900-1920 photo. (
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Children outside of school, Springbank, Alberta. 1929 photo. (
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Pupils on horses at Springbank school, Alberta. 1943 photo.
This school with six very large windows on each side of the entrance is definitely the east side of the school that is on the site today, right down to the lightning rods along the roofline. (
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Teachers and pupils at school, Springbank, Alberta. 1943 photo. (
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REFERENCES and FURTHER READING
Buckley, Evelyn. Springbank United Church: A Short History, "adapted from a reflection by Evelyn Buckley on the church’s 120th anniversary". 2006. (
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"Springbank School Will Mark Jubilee", March 27, 1937 (page 23 of 34). The Calgary Daily Herald (1908-1939) Retrieved from (
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"Springbank School District Marks 50th Anniversary: Many hardships confronted early settlers who started out west of Calgary; but school grew quickly." June 26, 1937 (page 30 of 38). The Calgary Daily Herald (1908-1939) Retrieved from (
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Jorgens, Dorothy. "Pupils of Springbank School Learn Modern Lessons, But Still Ride the Old Trails". April 29, 1939 (page 25 of 34). Calgary Herald (1939-) Retrieved from (
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"Springbank School Attendance Higher". February 27, 1940 (page 16 of 16). (1940/02/27/, 1940 Feb 27). Calgary Herald (1939-) Retrieved from (
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"Springbank School Dispute is Resolved" [school busing dispute was caused by poor communication; Springbank School's 3-room addition was not yet complete, students were supposed to go to West Calgary School within city limits] September 10, 1958 (page 15 of 60). Calgary Herald (1939-) Retrieved from (
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MacGillivray, Ken, and Meghan Cobb. "Structural problems force closure of Springbank daycare, dozens of families affected," 27 May 2025, Global News Calgary
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