Description of Historic Place

Soda Lake School is a Municipal Heritage Property occupying a .6-ha parcel of land in the Rural Municipality of Laurier No. 38, approximately 15 km south of the Town of Radville. The property features a one-room, wood-frame schoolhouse built in 1914 situated on a grassy plot of land amidst cultivated fields. A utility shed recently moved to the property is a non-contributing resource.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of Soda Lake School lies in its association with the early establishment of educational facilities in the municipality, and in its role as a community centre. Built in 1914 during a period of rapid settlement in the district, the school served its rural community’s educational needs until 1953, when declining enrolments forced its closure. As well as its school function, the property was also important as a location for community gatherings, such as picnics, suppers, ball tournaments and card parties. After the school closed, the property was taken over by a community club, and its use as a gathering place continued. Today, the school remains a valued landmark and venue for occasional community events, most notably Christmas parties that have been held continuously for over 40 years. While there were once more than a dozen country schoolhouses in the municipality, Soda Lake School is the only one on its original site that still plays an active role in the life of the community.

Source:

Rural Municipality of Laurier No. 38 Bylaw No. 1:84.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of Soda Lake School resides in the following character-defining elements:
-elements that are typical of one-room country schoolhouses of its period, including the building’s simple rectangular form and gable roof;
-elements that speak to the school’s landmark status and its role as a community gathering place, including the schoolhouse’s location on its original parcel of land, the open, grassy grounds demarcated from the surrounding fields, and the building’s open interior meeting space.