A three volume collection of news articles detailing local public school education from 1910 to 1946 can now be found at the CNC Library thanks to a donation from the Prince George Retired Teachers’ Association Educational Heritage Committee on Nov. 26.
The Archival Newspaper Educational Articles Project started in the late 1990’s when volunteers began searching newspaper microfilm records and back issues collections at the Prince George Public Library and, later, CNC.
They combed the pages of early newspapers like The Fort George Herald, The Leader, The Prince George Herald, The Prince George Post, The Prince George Star, and The Prince George Citizen for stories related to education, educators and educational facilities in the region now known as School District 57.
“This project was a fascinating and enlightening endeavor,” said Tiiu Noukas, current Chair of the Archival Newspaper Educational Articles Project. “Those who take the time to delve into this region’s educational past through local newspaper articles will be amazed at the richness, and sometimes bleakness, of life in our community. CNC’s Library is a great resource for research, and we’re pleased to contribute our work.”
All articles used in the Archival Newspaper Education Articles Project, whether sourced from microfilm or online, were retyped, printed and placed into its three volumes.
The Educational Heritage Committee believes the concentration of information the Archival Newspaper Education Articles Project provides makes it an essential starting point for anyone researching or writing the history of public education in the region.
The Archival Newspaper Education Articles Project volumes will be available to the public for reference at the CNC Library.
“Education is a pillar of our community,” said Kathy Plett, CNC Resource Centres Director. “The work the Prince George Retired Teachers’ Association Educational Heritage Committee has done paints a fascinating picture of how education in the region developed. We’re pleased to be adding these volumes to our library.”