Birtle Residential School

Birtle Residential School in Birtle, Manitoba, is on the 2019 Top 10 Endangered Places List.

Published with permission from the National Trust for Canada

 — Posted June 18, 2019
Gordon Goldsborough
Gordon Goldsborough

Location

Birtle, Manitoba

Why it matters

One of 14 residential schools that operated in Manitoba, Birtle Residential School is one of just three still standing, alongside those in Portage La Prairie and Winnipeg.

Operating from 1889 to 1972, the imposing three-storey brick building which now stands on the site was completed in 1931 and now sits within a complex of other educational and agricultural buildings.

The Birtle Residential School had a profoundly traumatic impact on generations of Indigenous peoples in Western Manitoba and beyond.

Why it’s endangered

Sold by the federal government in 1975, the second owner of the school property began demolishing the interior of the building, but then abandoned the project about 15 years ago.

It has since sat empty and open to the elements with its windows broken, the interior heavily vandalized, and evidence of its dark history being lost.

The former school made national headlines in 2015 when the second owner put the property up for sale on Kijiji, and subsequently changed hands in 2016.

Consensus has not yet emerged in the local Indigenous community about whether the former school should be preserved as a site of memory and conscience.

Until that happens, the site needs to be secured and stabilized to ensure the historic fabric is not further eroded.

This article is also available in French.

Canada's Top 10 Endangered Places List 2019

Glenora Neighbourhood

This Edmonton neighbourhood boasts the city’s highest concentration of historic resources with many detached houses designed by prominent architects in revival and Modern styles.

St. Vital Roman Catholic Church

Built in 1883, St. Vital is the oldest Catholic church in Saskatchewan.

Rubin Block

Opened in 1914, the building was designed by prominent Winnipeg architect Max Zev Blankstein.

Former St. Paul’s Anglican Rectory

Together with three different churches occupying the other corners, the Rectory is a key part of an historic ensemble leading to the heart of town.

Future Heritage Designations in Ontario

Ontario’s new More Homes, More Choice Act removes the abilities of municipalities to protect local heritage and gives final say over designation to appointed tribunals.

Ile d’Orleans

The cultural landscape of Ile d’Orleans still bears the physical imprint of the first families that settled the island in the seventeenth century and that went on to populate large sections of the new country.

Cyclorama of Jerusalem

The 120-year-old Cyclorama of Jerusalem is the only Canadian example of a painted circular panorama — an art form popularized in the nineteenth century.

United Memorial Church

The church was erected in memory of those who lost their lives in the Halifax explosion on December 6, 1917, and housed both Methodist and Presbyterian congregations.

Grand Bank Downtown and Waterfront

More than any other community in Newfoundland, Grand Bank’s collection of buildings calls to mind the character of New England and Maritime seaside towns.

Every year, the National Trust publishes its Top 10 Endangered Places List as part of its mission to raise awareness of the value that historic places bring to quality of life, local identity and cultural vitality.

The Top 10 Endangered Places List is compiled from nominations received as well as from reports and news items the National Trust has been following throughout the year. First published in 2005, the Top 10 Endangered Places List has become a powerful tool in the fight to make landmarks, not landfill.

The National Trust believes that historic places are cornerstones of identity, community and sense of place, yet every year, more are lost due to neglect, lack of funding, inappropriate development and weak legislation. By shining a spotlight on places at risk, the Top 10 Endangered Places List raises awareness about their plight and bolsters the efforts of local advocates working to save them.

Themes associated with this article

Related to Historic Sites

Diving Deep: Marine Archaeology

Parks Canada archaeologists dive deep in locations across Canada. 

Article

L’Anse aux Meadows

Viking legends proven true at this long-buried settlement.

Article

Future Heritage Designations in Ontario

Ontario’s new More Homes, More Choice Act removes the abilities of municipalities to protect local heritage and gives final say over designation to appointed tribunals.

Article

The Northern Plains: Nomads of the grasslands

The culture of ancient peoples on the vast plains of Eurasia and North America is much alike. But in important ways, it’s often different.

Article