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Birtle Indian Residential School (IRS) was located approximately half a mile north of Birtle, northwest of Brandon, at the junction of highways #42 and #83 south of the Yellowhead highway, from 1888 – 1893. Between 1873 – 1970, it was relocated to the town of Birtle. It operated from 1888 - 1970 (82 years), initially as a day school in 1883, then as a boarding school in 1888 until it closed.

Other names identifying the residential school include Birtle Industrial School (1888 - 1893), Birtle Boarding and Industrial School (1894), Birtle Indian Boarding School (1899 - 1911), Birtle Boarding School (1912 - 1923), Birtle Indian Residential School (1924 - 1970), Birtle Residential School (1933 -1968), and Birtle Student Residence (1968 - 1970).

The Government of Canada was responsible for its funding, which was managed and operated by the Presbyterian Church in Canada from 1888 - 1963. In 1911, the federal government signed an agreement with the Foreign Mission Committee of the Presbyterian Church in Canada for the operation of Birtle. The United Church (an amalgamation of the Methodist, Congregationalist, and two-thirds of the Presbyterian Church) oversaw operations from 1925 – 1927, after which the management and operation were assigned to the Presbyterian Church. The Women’s Missionary Society of the Presbyterian Church in Canada was involved between 1920 - 1969. In May 1962, an agreement was signed by the federal government with the Women’s Missionary Society (Western Division) of the Presbyterian Church in Canada for the operation of the school.

The IRS taught primary grades (1, 2, 3) and elementary grades (4, 5, 6) from its opening in 1888 - 1928. Junior high school grades (7, 8, 9) were included starting in 1928 - 1966 with the inclusion of high school grades (10, 11, 12) from 1949 - 1956, with only elementary classes being taught from 1966 - 1969. Throughout its history, 7,308 students attended. Some students attended schools within the town of Birtle, mainly high school students from 1953 -1969, with some lower grades attending from 1959 and all junior high and high school students attending Birtle schools in 1968 - 1969. The student population at Birtle IRS steadily increased from 1888 with the highest attendance activity between 1949 - 1962 and swiftly decreasing after that until closing in 1970.