Folder 2057082 - Vocational Training, Accounts, and Instructors' Salaries

St. Paul’s Indian Residential School (IRS) was located in North Vancouver. The IRS operated from 1899 - 1959 (60 years) and closed on September 1, 1959.

Other names identifying the residential school from 1900 - 1923 include Indian Boarding School, at Squamish Mission, Burrard Inlet; Squamish Boarding School; Squamish Indian Boarding School; Squamish Mission Boarding School; Squamish Mission Indian Boarding School; St. Paul’s Boarding School; St. Paul’s School; St. Paul’s School (Squamish Mission Boarding School); and North Vancouver Indian Boarding School. From 1923 - 1959 the names included Squamish Indian Residential School; Squamish Mission Residential School; Squamish Residential School; Squamish Boarding School; North Vancouver (Squamish) Indian Residential School; St. Paul’s Indian Residential School; St. Paul’s Indian Boarding School; and St. Paul’s School.

The Government of Canada was responsible for funding the school, which was managed and operated by the Roman Catholic Religious Teaching Order, the Sisters of Child Jesus. In 1916, an agreement between the Department of Indian Affairs and Most Rev. Timothy Casey, Archbishop of Vancouver, regarding the Squamish Boarding School.

No information is available regarding which grades were taught at the IRS.

Students from the following bands attended the IRS: Burrard #3; Musqueam; Nanaimo; Squamish; Squamish River; Creekside; Squamish #1 (Mission Reserve); Squamish #5 (Capilano Reserve); Mount Currie; Cape Mudge; Skwah; Chehalis; Chilliwack; and Burrard.

Statistics for student enrolment for the IRS are inconsistent in the earlier years from 1899 - 1926, only three years available, but from 1927 - 1959, there are 25 years of 33 years enrolment statistics available.