Item R00003228 - Livestock

St. Cyprian’s Indian Residential School (IRS) was initially located on the Peigan reserve west of Lethbridge south of Calgary. Still, a new school was situated approximately 10 miles west of the reserve near the railway station at Brocket. It operated from 1890 - 1961 (71 years) officially closing on June 30, 1961.

Other names identifying the residential school include Peigan Mission Home (1890), Victoria (1880), Episcopalian School House (1890), Peigan Indian Home (1890), Peigan Boarding School (1894), St. Peter’s Boarding School (1895), Queen Victoria Jubilee Home for Indian Children (1897), Protestant Boarding School (1898), Church of England Boarding School (1899), Victoria Home for Indian Children (1899), C of E Boarding School (1901), Victoria Indian School (1907), Victoria Home (1913), Peigan C.E. Boarding School (1922), and St. Cyprian Indian Residential School (1925).

The Government of Canada was responsible for funding the school, which was managed and operated by the Church of England from 1889 - 1961, and the Missionary Society of the Church of England took full responsibility for the school in approximately 1920.

In 1911, a letter containing duplicate copies of an agreement for the Peigan, Blood, and Sarcee Boarding schools dated April 22 has been located. Attached to this document is a 1911 contract between the Department of Indian Affairs and the Diocese of Calgary for the Sarcee Boarding School. At this time, it is not clear whether this document also refers to St. Cyprian’s IRS [April 5, 1911].

In 1912, copies of the 1911 agreement describing conditions under which the schools are operated were sent to Archdeacon Tims, Church of England.

No information is available to indicate what grades were taught at the school.

Student enrolment statistics are inconsistent from 1899 - 1935 but are available every year from 1942 - 1961.