Some Alberta School Signs

A small selection of my personal favourite school signs in southeast Alberta. 

Above is the Flat Valley School sign as it appeared early last summer. There are some other school signs of similar design in the Schuler/Hilda area but each one is a little different than the next.  This one also has a missing bell.

Glen Echo School sign comes complete with a fully restored one room schoolhouse. The colourful cairn under the sign has a detailed history of the school. Located near Conquerville.

Sunny Plains School sign is in the Milo/Lomond area of Vulcan County.  There are several school signs nearby using this popular design. "Sunny Plains" is such a cheery name.

Buffalo High School sign is next to the post office in Buffalo, Alberta. I've only seen a few like signs in my travels and they are all most likely made by the same person.

I pass by the Goose Lake School sign dozens of times each year and, more often than not, stop to take a photo. This shot was taken one late Saturday afternoon a few weeks ago just as a storm was approaching. The rain became so heavy that I had to pull off to the side of the road and wait out the worst of it. Unlike being caught in a snow storm which can be terrifying, riding out a rain storm is really quite pleasant but exciting at the same time.  Located along Eagle Butte Road near Bullshead Reservoir.

South of Bow Island is the Selz School sign. It has a bent bell tower but I still like it for its simplicity.

Another school sign in Vulcan County. The Rocky Buttes School sign is another popular design similar to the Sunny Plains sign but utilizes a brass plaque instead of cut-outs.

I found this one on a trip to Dinosaur Provincial Park.  The Imperial Colony School still exists, as seen behind the sign, and has been protected by a metal roof and the windows have been covered. I know a few elders from local colonies...maybe I can make some new friends and see the interior next time around.

The Haig School Site sign was one of the first school signs I photographed when I renewed my interest in back roads trip back in the fall of 2016.  The wooden section of the sign was achieved by wood burning. In the County of Forty Mile.

This one is a beauty!  The Haddington School monument is near Patricia.

I happened across Osborne School by chance one day in the Tide Lake area.  I was visiting Saint Mary's Church and Cemetery at Tide Lake and was pleased to see the abandoned school standing just a few hundred feet off the road as I traveled northward.

My all time favourite Alberta school sign. Someone went out of their way to make a "special" sign for a special pioneer school. Chances are this person had some personal attachment to the school.  It's just down the road and around the corner from Assumption Cemetery and Grotto.

Kudos of the highest merit to those organizations and individuals who have helped preserve a part of Alberta's history.  Pitch in and get your hands dirty!

- Michael Truman