Item A2022-010-1102 - Soeur Helen Greyeyes dans la salle de couture avec ses étudiantes.

Lebret Indian Residential School (IRS) was located on the west edge of Lebret on the northern shore of Mission Lake east of Fort Qu'Appelle and approximately 80 km northeast of Regina. It operated from 1884 - 1998 (114 years) under the Roman Catholic church and officially closed on June 30, 1998.

Other names identifying the residential school include Qu'Appelle Roman Catholic Industrial School (1884 - 1907), Qu'Appelle (Indian) Industrial School (1885 - 1945), Lebret (Indian) Industrial School (1919 - 1936), Qu'Appelle Residential School (1924 - 1966), (Fort) Qu'Appelle Indian Residential School (1924 - 1989), Lebret Indian Residential School (1925 - 1965), St. Paul's (Indian) High School (1952 - 1966), Qu'Appelle Student Residence (1969 - 1976), Lebret Student Residence (1982), and Whitecalf Collegiate (1998).

The Government of Canada was responsible for its funding, which was managed and operated by the Roman Catholic Church from 1884 - 1969 through the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, then later the Oblate Indian and Eskimo Commission. The federal government assumed full responsibility for the IRS's operation and management on April 1, 1969. On April 1, 1973, a thirteen-member Native Board of Directors representing twenty-four Indian bands was responsible for administering and managing the IRS. Administration of the Education Program at the IRS was transferred from the federal government to Qu'Appelle [Lebret] IRS Advisory Council (Q.I.R.S.C.), who was then responsible for the total operation of the IRS. In 1984, the Star Blanket Band was given full authority to administer the IRS.

On September 25, 1962, an Operational Agreement was signed between the Government of Canada and the Oblate Indian and Eskimo Council (INDIANESCOM) for the IRS's operation and management.

On July 21, 1969, a two-year service contract was signed, and the Oblate Indian and Eskimo Council would provide advisory and liaison duties to the federal government in connection with Indian Student Residences, retroactively effective from April 1, 1969.

The Government of Canada and the Qu'Appelle [Lebret] IRS Council signed a funding arrangement for the Council to maintain and operate the IRS's residence portion from April 1, 1980 - March 31, 1981.

Grades taught at the IRS were as follows;
1888 - 1889 primary
1890 -1916 primary and elementary
1917 - 1928 information missing
1929 - 1938 primary, elementary, and junior high
1939 - 1950 information missing
1951 - 1967 primary, elementary, junior high, and high school
1967 - 1976 primary, elementary, and junior high
1976 - 1985 primary, elementary, junior high, and high school

Some students also attended local schools in Fort Qu'Appelle in 1965 - 1967 and 1988.
Student enrolment statistics for the IRS from 1884 - 1945 are available for 38 years out of 61 years (62%) and far more inconsistent from 1946 - 1998, having only seven years available out of 52 years (13%) for approximately 40% overall. Figure 6 estimates the average enrolment in five-year increments.