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Life in the slow lane

    Being raised on a farm 3 miles south of Harding on the old number 21 highway gave me the opportunity to live in open spaces and enjoy nature, especially in the springtime. The weather would warm up. The creek was running and flooding our ravine, but the sights and sounds of everything new and fresh really appealed to me.

    Something new for me in the fall of 1958 was to go to school. Education Point School was situated about 4 miles south of Harding, about a mile away from our home.

    Education Point School was a country school and had kids attend from grades 1-8.

    One teacher taught all u8 grades. There were probably 17-20 students at any given year. The young learned from the older students and so it was at Education Point School.

    My first teacher was Mrs. Maisie Blackwell from Harding and she taught me the first 3 years of my schooling. Next was Mrs. Faye Speers of Griswold, who would teach me the next 3 years and finally Mrs. Dorothy Smith of Oak Lake taught me in grades 7 and 8. Then it was off to Kenton Collegiate.

    A special memory for me was the Henry Redfern family. Ray, Gary, Lynne and Brian all came to Education Point School. Their mode of travel was by a cart and in the wintertime a cutter, pulled by the horse whose name was Rusty. I imagine on some of those cold blustery winter days they were cold by the time they got to school. They lived 3 miles away, but I never heard a complaint from them. Ray Redfern is of course well known in Westman. 

    We always had Christmas concerts at the school. We took part in plays, music whether it be by piano or singing. I think we must have sung all the Christmas carols a thousand times. 

    On the last day of school for the summer there was a picnic when all the parents would show up, and there was always a ball game. 

    I can remember Mr. Dave Penner umpiring, standing behind the pitcher.

    When we had lunch on that day I remember Mr. Hudge Stevenson, thanking the teacher for their service and congratulating the students on their accomplishments. Then the parents would be visiting and the kids playing and saying their goodbyes until fall. We did not live far apart as neighbours go but the farm work had to be done and summer was the busiest.

    Eventually as there were less and less kids in the area, Education Point School closed. It stood  empty for a few years until some people decided to roll a hay bale up beside the school and set it on fire. The school was destroyed by the fire. Nasty people!

    There is a cairn standing in remembrance of the old school and a barn that was on the site. The hoodlums destroyed the school, but they can't ever destroy the memories of school days at Education Point School.