 |
|||
|
M I S S I O N H E R I T A G E A S S O C I A T I O N
The last graduating class at St. Mary's Mission School
was in 1958 and a new St. Mary's was opened further east in 1961. The
First Nations students were transferred there or integrated into the
public school system and thus the Oblates' work with the native children
quickly came to an end. For almost a hundred years the St. Mary's
Mission and Residential School had taught the First Nations children
of the area. But the era had come to an end. By 1965, the old St.
Mary's buildings were derelict, and had become a danger for the
children in the area so they were torn down. The land then became the
property of the province and was slated for high-density housing.
|
||
The Mission Heritage Association (M.H.A) was created in 1979 with a mandate
to preserve Mission's local heritage. Under the direction of Norma
Kenney, founding president and honorary chairperson, the M.H.A.
lobbied the government for the St. Mary's site. Forty-four acres of the
original land officially became a park in 1986. Unfortunately, Norma
Kenney died in 1989, just a few years after the park was created.
The Norma Kenney House was built in her honour as a reminder of her work.
