File Hills

File Hills IRS, Balcarres

1889-1949
Operated by Presbyterian United Church

Initially established as a mission boarding school in 1889. Early reports of TB, with a 1907 study indicating 31 students discharged since opening due to illness, with ‘15 dead at time of discharge’. A 1942 fire destroyed 2 classrooms that were replaced by 1944. Parental efforts to close the school reported, with a 1948 inspection leading to its closure in 1949.

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1 A sketch map suggests File Hills IRS was located at end of this access road. A monument was erected in front of school and apparently is still standing. It is not visible in satellite image.

 

Maass cites an email from Cecile Fausak (2012) describing a cemetery within the north half of Section 33-T22-R11 W2. John Stonechild and Frances (Little Tom) Tuckawow report it as being 400 to 800 metres from former school on the Okanese Reserve. The cemetery is accessed ‘cross country’, but a trail is reported to pass 3-4 metres from the cemetery.

While obscured by cloud cover, the satellite imagery reveals several disused trails in the north half of Section 33, with the most promising illustrated here. Note the arrangement of white rectangles at the end of a trail at location 1. These features look to be too large to be grave shafts, but otherwise conform to the description above.

2021 Bing Satellite image of Possible File Hills IRS cemetery area. Local information suggested a small graveyard area some distance from the school that is located along a trail. The illustration shows an intermittent set of elongated discolourations arranged in rows and is a candidate cemetery location. There seems to be an ‘entrance’ from the nearby cart track, and a faint rectangular or square area that is distinct from the surrounding scrub bush.

Additional Resources

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