Class back in session at Daly House

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This article was published 05/09/2023 (930 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With the school year beginning this week, Brandon’s Daly House Museum is giving students, parents and teachers a glimpse into the history of the city’s various educational institutions, including some that don’t exist anymore.

The museum’s new “School Days” exhibit, which opened Friday and runs until Sept. 30, features photos and artifacts from a variety of institutions like École New Era School and King George School, which have undergone major changes over the years.

The original King George School, for example, was built in 1928 and demolished in 1979 to make way for a new building that currently sits at 535 Park St.

New Era, despite its name, is even older, having been built in 1906 and 1907 and opened as a high school known as Brandon Collegiate Institute.

The name was eventually changed to “New Era” in 1974 after the building was expanded and converted into an elementary school.

To summer intern Kaelyn Delaurier, who curated this exhibit along with fellow Brandon University student Tanner Hall, some of the most compelling photos in this collection feature buildings that are no longer standing, like the Old Central School.

This institution was originally built in 1881, predating Brandon’s establishment as a city in 1882.

The Old Central School was eventually demolished in 1905 and replaced by the New Central School, which itself was torn down in 1971.

“I’ve grown up in Brandon my whole life, and before working on this exhibit I didn’t really realize that there were other schools than the ones we just have here,” Delaurier told the Sun over the weekend.

“But when you start digging into history, it makes sense.”

In terms of favourite uncovered artifacts, Delaurier was excited to find a 1912 sales ledger from Christie’s School Supply, a local business that traces its lineage all the way back to 1881 and still operates today as Christie’s Office Plus.

The 1912 ledger displays a list of items the company sold to different Prairie school districts and local historical figures like George Robson Coldwell, the second owner of the Daly House before it was turned into a museum.

“It’s just so interesting to me, to be able to see not only this everyday part of students’ lives, but also to see the connection to these kind of Brandon historical figures,” she said.

For Hall, his most treasured find throughout this process was a copy of a BU yearbook from 1971, which gave him pause to reflect on his own experiences as a member of a high school yearbook team back in Humboldt, Sask.

“So seeing it on display brings back some fun memories,” he stated in a Friday news release.

While a lot has changed in the world of education throughout the last 140 years, Delaurier was surprised to discover, through her research, that the overall day-to-day life of students has remained the same in many respects.

Despite major advancements in technology, students still use a lot of the same school supplies and are taking part in similar extra-curricular activities like sports and the yearbook club.

Because of these shared experiences, the Daly House is even inviting visitors of different ages to contribute to this exhibit directly by writing their school-yard memories in a journal that can be shared with future generations.

“There’s a little bit for everyone in this exhibit,” Delaurier said. “Everyone’s gone to school, so you can relate to it in some way, shape or form, and I think it’s just a really good way to learn a bit about Brandon’s history.”

The Daly House Museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. For more information on the “School Days” exhibit, or to book a tour, call 204-727-1722 or email dalymuseum@wcgwave.ca.

» kdarbyson@brandonsun.com