St. Joseph’s Residential School
Fire of 1930

Around 3 A.M. on February 25, 1930, a student at St. Joseph’s Residential School in Cross Lake, Manitoba, noticed flames in the building.

The school’s water system had failed due to low water levels. Chaos ensued as the fire rapidly spread, with staff and children running into the bitter winter with nothing but their pajamas. Many children were trapped in their dormitories, their escape from the fire hindered by locked doors and barred windows. The inferno quickly reduced the school to ash, with only the stone walls remaining.

Tragically, twelve children – eleven girls and one boy – along with a staff member perished in the blaze.

This devastating fire exposed the neglect and unsafe conditions rampant in many residential schools. It underscored the systemic issues within the residential school system, including poor infrastructure, inadequate funding, and a blatant disregard for the well-being of Indigenous children.

This sorrowful chapter in the history of Canadian residential schools serves as a stark reminder of the suffering endured by many. The lives lost in the St. Joseph’s fire shall never be forgotten:

Agnes Thomas, Cross Lake (CL)
Annie Crane, Norway House (NOH)
Charlotte Mecredi, Thicket Portage (TP)
Christie Ross, Cross Lake (CL)
Clemence Cook, Cross Lake CL)
Emile Dumas, Nelson House (NEH)
Hyla (Illa) Crait, Cross Lake (CL)
Hyla (Illa) Moose, Nelson House (NEH)
Martha Scott, Cross Lake (CL)
Mary Ann Francois, Nelson House (NEH)
Nancy Flett, Split Lake (SL)
Nora Blacksmith, Cross Lake (CL)

On March 4, 1930, the children were laid to rest together in a single coffin at the Cross Lake Roman Catholic Cemetery, their shared burial symbolizing the community’s collective grief and remembrance. Cross Lake (Pimicikamak) and the communities of the other children; Nelson (NEH) House, Norway House (NOH), Split Lake, and Thicket Portage (TP) will forever cherish their memories in our hearts.