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authority records
B.C. Mining School
Corporate body · [ca.1971]-1982

The B.C. Mining School in Rossland was original an open pit program at the Molybdenum mine on Red Mountain which started in June 1971. It was a twelve-week course, and the students were chosen by Canadian manpower. The students were typically from the metropolitan Vancouver area with an average education level of grade eight. Due to its success, an underground program was suggested, with the site of the school moving to the base of Kootenay Columbia Mountain. The first sixteen-week course started in October 1943. The school was to later produce the first open pit, and underground female worker. On fifth August 1981 newly arrived students came to the school to find a padlock on the door. The school was abruptly closed with little warning. The last open pit and underground classes had their graduation take place on third July 1981 and nineteenth June 1981. Multiple letters and resolutions were sent to the Minister of Education (later Minister of Energy Mines, and Petroleum Resources), Brian Smith (1975-1983), and many other ministers and organizations to try and reopen the school. This included a considerable amount of action was taken by Harry Lefevre.

There are multiple different reasons that were given for the student closure of the school, two of which being that (1) according to Smith, that the Canadian Employment & Immigration Commission refused to sponsor any more students after September 1981, and that, (2) according to Gerald Bell of Western Industrial Relations, major mining companies no longer wanted to employ graduates from the school. This, apparently, had nothing to do with the standard of teaching but rather that Canada Manpower had not carried about sufficient screening of potential students, which resulted in an excess of poor-quality students. Harry Lefevre attributed the closure to a breakdown in the financial support agreement between the Ministry of Education and Canadian Manpower.

Corporate body · 1986-1987

In 1986 and 1987 there were numerous meetings held by the Jubilee Park and Playing Field committee concerning the proposed upgrade of the Jubilee Park for Rossland Secondary School (now Rossland Summit School). They proposed a slight leveling and raising of the field, a double soccer field, jogging track, tennis court, and basketball court. Cook Pickering & Doyle Ltd. surveyed and presented comments and recommendations on the geotechnical matters affecting improved drainage for the playing fields. Members of the advisory committee included Jean Cormack, Hugo Smecher, Lloyd McLellan, Harry Lefevre, Stan Fisher, Iain Martin, and Jack Richardson. Ultimately, the plans never went ahead, possibly due to lack of funding by the Ministry of Education.

Rossland School Board
Corporate body · 1895-[196?]

The Rossland School Board was the main administrator of Rossland’s schools since the first classes were held in 1895, in the Methodist Church. The School Board kept in contact with the Provincial Education Department, but were ultimately responsible for the schools administration, finances, and hiring decisions. Under their administration, the School Board built and operated Kootenay Avenue School/Rossland Public School (1896-1915), Central School (1898-1917), Cook Avenue School (1901-2002), MacLean School (1918-1981), and the Rossland High School/Rossland Secondary School (1951-2013). Rossland High School operated out of Cook Avenue School after the Rossland Public School closed and until the new high school was built in 1951. The name of the high school changed to the Rossland Secondary School sometime in the early/mid-1960s.

In 1960, the School Board merged with the Trail School District. Rossland’s schools are now under School District 20 (Kootenay-Columbia).