Description of Historic Place

The Opawaka School Site includes a flagpole and stone monument on an open lawn area rimmed on two sides by deciduous forest at a gravel crossroads southwest of Miami. The municipal designation applies to the monument and its approximately two-hectare parcel of land.

Heritage Value

The Opawaka School Site is a tangible link to the educational and community history of a long-established agricultural district situated between Miami and Darlingford in south-central Manitoba. From 1919 to 1959, Opawaka School saw more than 2,200 students in Grades 1 to 11 and 44 teachers pass through its doors. It also played host to many community events and celebrations. The succession of three school buildings that appeared on or near this site, beginning in 1886 with a log structure accommodating 14 students and culminating with Opawaka School, which held 55, speaks to the area's rapid development. The tranquil pastoral site, which preserves the expanse of the schoolyard and also commemorates Opawaka United Church, provides a simple, contemplative connection to the community's early development.

Source: Rural Municipality of Thompson By-law No. 10/98, May 27, 1998

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of the Opawaka School Site include:
- the rural location southwest of Miami, amid agricultural fields and at the junction of gravel grid roads
- the undeveloped nature of site, encompassing the original schoolyard, with lawn area to the north and east and forested area on south and west sides

Key elements that define the site's commemorative function include:
- the large granite monument and attached bronze plaque with inscriptions relating to Opawaka School and Opawaka United Church
-the situation of the granite boulder on the school site and the nearby pole bearing the Canadian flag
- the public access