Elma Pool Hall and Confectionary
Located on Elma's Main Street. Built after the fire of 1922 that destroyed almost every building in Elma. The Pool Hall and residence behind it were known for its tunnels and "bootlegging." The foundation of the "Town/Dance Hall" can still be seen next to the residence. It was another access point to the tunnels.
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Lewis School (Dollard)
The Dollard School District was established in July 1913 and a one-room schoolhouse operated at NW29-10-11E in the Lewis area of the Rural Municipality of Whitemouth. After the school closed, the building was moved to Medika. Only its concrete foundation remains at the site. The Diamond Jubilee Confederation Plaque pictured above was salvaged from the school building which was beyond repair.
Among the teachers who worked at Dollard School through the years were Margaret Elder (1925), Lillie Brynelan (1930), Joseph A. Loucks (1935), Agnes Adamek (1940), Agnes Zadorozny (1945, 1960), Anthony Kozachenko (1950), and Edward Krysko (1955).
Aerial Map showing the Bridge over the Whitemouth River. This bridge built by the Korlaks and other farmers and maintained by them was mentioned in Municipal papers as far back as 1926 and referred to as the Korlak Bridge. It was finally damaged in an ice jam in 1950 and not repaired as the new Highway 11 bridge was near completion.
Michalas Kurian controlling the steam engine. 1922
Shown here is a homemade, portable sawmill powered by a steam engine at work near Tomilla's Creek near Elma around 1923. On the left is the sawyer, Nick kurian, Steve Kurian on the mill, below is W. Pajunen. The young fellow on the right is Obert Gustafson. ( The person in the foreground behind the tree cannot be identified.)
The Lath Mill in Elma was located at the river end of what we now know as Old Highway 15 near the CN rail bridge. In 1922, a man named George Gibson from Lac du Bonnet started up a lath' mill, located by the CN Bridge on the west side of the river. The mill employed between 30 and 35 local men at times. Farmers cut logs for the mill in the winter, usually upstream, so that the logs could be "boomed" down the river. The logs that made laths were each four feet long. The laths were about 1 3/4 inches wide, 1/2 nch thick, and four feet long. They were bundled into packages of fifty, loaded onto wagons and taken into Elma and loaded into boxcars. About 30 000 laths could be produced in a day. The laths were used when plastering the gypsum board inside buildings. It was finally shut down, as the demand for wood lath decreased and metal moldings were being used by plasterers.
The former United Grain Growers grain elevator at Elma (1962.) The Elevator was moved to the nearby town of Whitemouth in 1964.
Source: (MHS) Agricore United Engineering Department, Tom Price (Mgr), provided by Glenn Dickson (University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections)
Elma School
Located on PR 406 near Elma. The school
opened in 1904 and operated until 1971. This picture was of the original school with an addition built in 1916. The community had outgrown its first school. In 1953 a new school was built adjacent to the old school which was demolished. The site and buildingis now owned by the Elma Community Club which opened up in 1973.
Photo by J. H. Plewes. Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs, GR8461, A0233, C131-2, page 91.
St. Anthony's Catholic Church
Located in Elma, on Hwy. 11, South of CNR tracks. St. Anthony's was the spiritual center of three churches: Elma, St. Augustine's in Whitemouth, and St. John the Baptist at Hadashville.lts history traces back to Father Anthony Polaska, who first looked after the Polish immigrants at Elma. Father Polaska lived in Beausejour. The church was dedicated on June I3th, 1912; named in honour of St. Anthony of Padua. Father Francis Slusarz was the first resident priest. In 1938, he built the rectory, which was situated beside the church. The Priest lived here, servicing Hadashville, Elma and Whitemouth until the church closed in 1975.
The rectory is now a private residence.
Picture: Courtesy of Gary Robertson.
Holy Cross Ukrainian Catholic Church
Located in Elma, at the end of Regan Ave.
This church was built around 1910, when the Ukrainian population in Elma and district became large enough to support it. Before 1910, a priest would travel out from Winnipeg on the CNR to visit various homes in the area, to see sick people, and to hold masses. The church was built basically as it stands today; a new roof and new carpeting were installed in 1978.
St. Ludwiga Church
Located on Stony Hill Rd, west of Elma and south of old Hwy. 15. This church was built in 1906, and was comprised of a congregation of mixed Polish and Ukrainian Orthodox faith. It was situated on one and a half acres of land, built of large poplar logs squared with broad axes. The cemetery was also founded at this time. The church operated for many years, but gradually died as the pioneers died. Most of their children decided to leave the area to take outside jobs. The last funeral service held in the old building was that of Nellie Zarichanski in August of 1954. By that time, the building was becoming run down, and became unused; no one was left to repair it. Around 1970, the roof started to cave in, so the building was demolished. Pete Zarichanski and Julie Sitar salvaged the church bell, and built a small shed to house and display it. This shed is located in the churchyard where the old church stood. The church cemetery remains, and is still in use.
Stony Hill School and Teacherage
Located across Stony Hill Rd. from the
church, on the east side. The school was built in 1907. The first records are from 1909. 1967 was the last year of operation. It is now a private residence.
Photo by R. Goulet
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs, GR8461, A0233, C131-2, page 112.
Juno School
Located on Juno Rd. south, at Lake Rd. First-year of records was 1921. 1942 was the last year of records.
Photo: Juno School and teacherage (no date)
Source: Archives of Manitoba, School Inspectors Photographs,
GR8461, A0233, C131-3, page 15.
Lewis Catholic Church
Located on Old H wy. 15, east of Lewis Rd. on the north side. About 1924, a frame house was bought in Lewis and moved half a mile south beside the trail to Elma, old Hwy. 15. Father Pallier (Payee?) visited the new church for services, as he had done in the Porrier's home before, about every two months. Improvements were made to the church: a basement was installed. The church gradually died, and became inactive around 1960. The church stood idle for more than 15 years and was moved away around 1977 to Regan Avenue in Elma. Two graves are in the churchyard.
