Dear Editor,
A few years ago, I heard that there was what was called an ‘Okotoks Residential School’ in the past, and I made some attempts to find out more about it.
I found little except a couple of pictures online and could not find out where it had been located. I visited the Okotoks Museum, but they had no information and could not tell me the location, and the person I talked briefly with knew nothing about it.
After talking with some long-term residents of the Davisburg area and doing a lot of driving around I did find a memorial to the Industrial School (a precursor to the residential school system). It is located close to the Highwood River in a corner of a field.
I found out it was called The Dunbow Industrial School, also St. Joseph’s Industrial School, and I then found a bit more information on-line. It was apparently the first of the western residential schools in Canada.
I am sorry to know that I have lived in this area and Calgary for over 50 years and knew nothing of this part of our history.
Gillian Orr,
Okotoks