Deloro Separate School - R.C. School Section #1

In Jan. 2024, Greg Courneya, grandson of ED O’Connor, donated a variety of Ledger books and minute books from this school, giving us more clues into daily life at the Deloro Separate school. Ed O’Connor was secretary of the school committee for over 50 years.

In July of 1909, the supporters of the Separate School in Deloro held a meeting and decided to hire a "high class" teacher, at least a second professional, as they were financially much stronger by then, thanks to Mr. Michael J.O'Brien, founder of the Deloro works, and an exemplary Catholic and strong Separate School supporter. He assured Father Murtagh that his taxes from the Deloro Co. will go for the future to the Separate School in Deloro.

The first separate school in Deloro was opened in 1897 in a log house with the address “Marmora Drive”. From the ledger books, we know that in August of 1888, the school received a grant of $11.00 and the teacher was Miss Margaret Breen. That year she received 3 new benches for a total of $$2.25, new maps, a 25 cent broom, 5 lbs of nails for repairs, and a box of chalk for twenty cents.

Total costs, including the teacher’s annual salary of $200.00, was $211.66, all paid for by the Government grant of $11.00, tax money of $136.64, a loan of $60.00 and forty dollars from a social.

By 1890 we see Richard O’Connor is Chairman of the school committee , with G. Matthew O’Connor, James Auger, John O’Connor and John A. McCallum as trustees. 1891 saw two new teachers, Maud Macaulay, and Catherine Shain. Then, Eva Bradley (1897), Mary Campbell (1899-1900), Ella Kearney (1901) and Agnes Doris & MarieJ. McNally (1904)

Electricity was supplied by the Deloro Smelting and refining company

Miss Forrest of Almonte was hired as teacher for September of 1909, The one-room school was built there in 1917 and served that community for more than 50 years. Miss Curran from Port Hope was the hired staff in 1917.

1995 INTERVIEW WITH HELEN GAFFNEY MANTLE (1907-2005)

"It's a shame that for such a small community, they had two different schools.

1920 SCHOOL PHOTO - hELEN gAFFNEY mANTLE ON RIGHT SIDE WITH SPLIT WHITE COLLAR.

I don't believe it bothered me as much when I was young, as It didn't seem important, but now looking back, I do believe it was a shame. When you have such a small village as Deloro is, and you have just two streets to walk up and down, it's a real shame that us children had to go separate ways.

You see, there were two schools, one that was Public and one Separate. I don't understand why they had to have two schools, when we all would have fit just fine into one classroom. It's a real shame that at such a young age and because there were only very few of us that there was fear of the Catholic children losing any faith from their church. As you know, in Marmora, the community had at one point in time shared the church, although it was of Catholic Denomination. And still today, you find that sort of unity among all the churches. But I just can't understand why in Deloro, such a small community, we were separated from the other children.

There were only four or five other Catholic families. I just don't think it was necessary to separate us. Helen answered. "We would all meet and greet each other and then walk up the street together. The sad part was we would have to say good-bye and go our separate ways when it came time to turn to go to "our school." Dividing the children like that, put a label on us. We weren't just children, but the "Catholic Children" It was a shame, really, a terrible shame that we were treated so differently.

The kids from the Public School used to be so happy when they returned home from school. But us …... Well you know, because we were part of the Separate School Board there was very little money and so the Public School had much better toys than we did. We had one teacher, and do I ever remember her! She's one of those people who aren't easily forgotten. She was an old Biscuit of a Teacher I tell you. Crosser than anyone I ever knew. Mrs. Sheridan was her name. Boy oh boy the mean streaks that women had! She lived up there on the hill, in that little white house. It was just a little shack of a place and she lived there alone. No wonder! I don't think anyone could have lived with that woman. I heard when I was growing up that the Public school teacher was very nice. Another reason to be jealous, I guess!

It was rough. We noticed, but back then, what children had to say wasn't important. We had to take things as they came to us. That was the way life was, back then.

Margie Royle writes: This is where I started school in September 1955 but moved into Sacred Heart School in Marmora before the year was out. Agnes Loveless was the teacher. I don't remember it looking so desolate. Some happy memories here!

Pat McCrodan writes: I remember Rita Farrell, teacher, gathering milkweed pods for the war effort for life preservers. One year, 4 ft snow in the yard and the grade eights dug tunnels all over the yard.