GLADMAR REGIONAL HIGH SHOOL #4351
The notion to build a regional high school at Gladmar that encompassed the RM’s of Surprise Valley, Lake Alma, and Souris Valley could not have been an easy one. The challenges were enormous. The School District and Trustees had to convince all stakeholders, especially the participating communities. Land had to be found and funding approved.
Then it happened…
With a very generous donation of land from Sam and Lillian Bendickson, the commitment of the surrounding communities, the determination of Trustees Fred Meyers and Olaf Waldal, and guidance of Chester Teal, Superintendent of the Radville School District, construction began.
It was May, 1963. Remarkably, only months later on November 18, 1963, Gladmar Regional High School opened its doors.
Lillian and Sam Bendickson
Mr. Fred Meyers, Mr. Chester Teal, Mr. Olaf Waldal
The Radville School District may have been one of the first in the province to realize such a vision, especially to include all the surrounding towns and villages within the three rural municipalities. It was the spirit within those communities that helped get the idea off the page and shovels in the ground.
The first Principal was Mr. Mike Fulmes. His faculty included Mr. Robert Massier, Mr. Richard Wagner, Mr. Robert Anderson, and Mr. A. Smith. Vagn Rasmussen was hired as Caretaker and Janitor, and George Hein, Bob Hind, Carl Offet, and Ingmar Hofseth served as Bus Drivers.
The inaugural senior class graduated in June of 1964. GRHS eventually grew beyond Gladmar, Minton, Three Lakes and Lake Alma to encompass the villages of Ratcliffe and Beaubier. Later on, students from Oungre and Tribune attended once a week for Home Economics and Shop, which included wood working and drafting.
Gladmar Regional High School has seen tremendous success. It has been a place of learning and inspiration. School spirit was second to none and quickly became the catalyst for the school’s overall reputation and its success in sports like basketball, volleyball, football and curling. It also fostered accomplishments for students who went on to become leaders in the community, province, and even the country!
In the Fall of 1993 due to diminishing student enrollment, GRHS became GRS and expanded to include kids from Kindergarden through 12. Our rural population was decreasing rapidly and that forced many of the elementary schools to close. In fact, the only school remaining in our area is Lyndale School in Oungre, which now takes kids from K to Grade 8.
For those of us who were lucky enough to attend GRHS, it was a pretty special time in our lives. We made lifelong friends. We developed a sense of loyalty and bonding with each other. The school essentially became a grounding for us all. It may not have seemed like it at the time, but our lives were literally being shaped within its walls. It was unlike anything we’d experienced, and perhaps... not since. Such was the spirit of Gladmar Regional High.
