Spanish Residential School

The Spanish Residential School was a residential school operated by the Society of Jesus from 1913-1958. Prior to the establishment of the Spanish Residential School, the Jesuits operated a series of schools in Wiikwemkoong, on Manitoulin Island.

In 1844, the Jesuits arrived in Wiikwemkoong to help run a Roman Catholic school that had been founded three years prior, in 1841. The school had been founded to serve the Roman Catholic community and compete with the neighboring Anglican school. After the 1850 Robinson-Huron Treaty, the school began to receive funding from the federal government. In 1862, the Daughters of the Heart of Mary arrived to establish a school for girls, and in 1878, following significant grants from the government, the Jesuits founded the Wikwemikong Industrial School. These events marked an increase in the collaboration between the Jesuits and the government. A fire in 1885 destroyed the boys' school, which re-opened the following year, and in 1888 there was an attempt to burn down the girls' school. Following the 1894 amendment to the Indian Act, which required First Nations children to attend residential schools, the school at Wiikwemkoong became part of the educational system controlled by the Department of Indian Affairs.

Following the federal government’s recommendations regarding the education of Indigenous children, in addition to conflicts at Wiikwemkoong including the 1911 strike and the burning of the girls’ school, the Jesuits decided to transfer the residential school away from the Indigenous community in Wiikwemkoong. The residential school moved to the town of Spanish, was renamed the St. Peter Claver School, and opened on July 23, 1913. The girls' school, still managed by the Daughters of the Heart of Mary, was renamed St. Joseph's, and , opened on or around August 15, 1913. Popularly known as the Spanish Residential Schools, they enrolled students from the Manitoulin Island area, and as far as the Ahkwesáhsne, Kahnawà:ke, and Kanehsatà:ke communities. Initially open for only a portion of the year, increased enrollment expanded the mission and the schools began operating year-round. The boys' school's operations relied in part on the labour of the Indigenous students, and included managing the farm, growing food, and maintaining the buildings. The mission also included the teaching of different trades.

A high school program was eventually developed to revitalize the scope of the Jesuits’ missionary work. The high school, named St. Charles Garnier, began its operations in 1947. Enrollment increased rapidly during the first few years of operation but began to decline in the mid-1950s. This, combined with internal strife, Jesuit personnel disillusionment, and problems of infrastructure, led to the closing of the elementary and high schools at Spanish. The school for boys closed on June 30, 1958, while the school for girls closed on June 30, 1962.

Shanahan, David F. 2004. The Jesuit Residential School at Spanish: "More Than Mere Talent." Canadian Insitute of Jesuit Studies. Toronto, Canada.

See also: https://archives.nctr.ca/Spanish-Boys-School