Reference 2, 4.
February 25th, 1922
The Deputy Minister (0-6275022)
Department of Education-Ed
Sir
I received yours of the 11th and Board Meeting held to-day. - I know, by experience, that it is your great desire to be fair towards our S.D. You, now, wish SE (not NE) 9, and SW10-54-4-5 to be taken from us and put to the Darwell District. The former belongs to the C.P.R. and will soon, I understand, be taxable. The latter belongs to a man (Loyngaard) who always pays his taxes.
My Board considers there will be nothing against this arrangement, if you give us the equivalent; but we cannot afford to lose these two 1/4 sections without.
Allow me to remind you, Sir, that we, now, only possess sixty-six quarter sections, and of these 66, eighteen are non-assessable.
Total area 10,383 acres, Assessable 7,503. God knows it is hard enough, now, to run the School!! (end of p.87)(ESSAY- PAGE 2)
We have probably the smallest and poorest District in Alberta. So we cannot, possibly, afford to lose any of our small income. Should you insist in taking these two 1/4 sections away from us, we firmly ask you to put the South 1/2 of Sec. 24 to our S.D. We now possess the North 1/2 and the South 1/2 formerly belonged to us, - in fact, our School used to be operated on SW24-53-4-5, before our S.D. was mutilated, without mercy, in order to help Wabamun & Rexboro.
Smithfield S.D. possesses ninety-nine 1/4 sections, with most of it settled and assessable. This against our 48 assessable. Yet it will cost as much to run our School as it does the Smithfield S.D.
We are cruelly penalized, and repectfully ask you to stand by us. - My Board maintains that the only way to fairly adjust matters, is to add paying Farms to our S.D. instead of taking them away; or else to allow us a large special Gov't Grant, if the School is operated. (end of p.88)(ESSAY - PAGE 1)
My Board wishes me to inform you, Sir, that Mr. Loyngaard is not a married man. Therefore, unless he wishes to sell his Farm, it makes no earthly difference to him whether he is 6 or 16 miles away from the School. The only thing which counts with him is the taxes, and he is bound to pay these, to either one District or the other. If his farm should be sold to a man with a family, my Board considers then will be the time to consider this question.
Yours respectfully
Thomas Street
P.S. My Board wishes to operate our School from April 2nd; right through the Summer and Fall, as long as weather permits, if the money can be found.
T.S.
(89)

Reference 3.
February 3rd, 1925
The Deputy Minister
Department of Education - Ed
Sir
File No. 0-(11739)-24
I received your letter of December 12th, 1924 - re 34-53-4-5
But, I could do nothing then, as the Board was just dissolving, the Chairman having resigned, and one other Trustee automatically going out of office.
I will say, here, that your letter took all the heart out of me, and drove me to a state of despair.
For nine long years I have worked my hardest for Sylvan, under the greatest difficulties.
We have brought this District out of the deepest depths, and set it on a rock. But, as you know, Sir, this is a very small district, and we badly need more Taxpayers. The School was only operated 6 1/2 months last year.(end of p. 133)(ESSAY - PAGE 1)
Our new Board has met, and passed the following resolution: -
"That the Secretary again writes to the Department re Mr. Stobart's request, and that he puts the matter strongly before them."
At this Annual Meeting, everybody living in the District was present. And, it was very plainly intimated (re your letter) that this is no question of "Children" at all.
It is simply a question of money, and money we must have, if the School is to be operated.
In fact, it is not only a question of 34-53-4-5, but we also require S 1/2 of 23-53-4-5 and S 1/2 of 24-53-4-5.
These Farms are fairly in our District. They were taken from us in 1916, when the Sylvan Children went away. Now we have new Settlers with Families, it is imperatively necessary that we have our own again, if these Children are to be educated.
Yours respectfully
Thomas Street - Sec.
(134)

Reference 5.
Ap--- 18
Wabamun - Alberta - April 6th/18
The Deputy Minister of Education, Edmonton
Sirs,
re your letters - March 19
Our Board of Trustees met today. I told you in a previous letter that, at the present time we have no children of School age residing in the the Sylvan School District
We have a good, large, 3 roomed Building, in centre of District available to be rented, or bought for a school, if required.
Some of the Farmers, with Families are on Active Service, others gone to the States; others gone away to earn a living. They all, or some of them, may return at any time with their families. Then this Building, and the nice balance at the Bank, will be useful. I believe a man with children has filed on 1/4 Sec. 2-54-4-5, Roman Catholics.
Thomas Street
Sec. - Treas.
(38)(ESSAY - PAGE 2)

Reference 6.
(Undated, between Aug 9 -17, 1916)
Sir
I have the honor to inform you of the Meeting of the school board held on Aug 5th it was decided to take the necessary steps to open the residence of Mr. Walter Street on the N.W. Sect 36 Tp 53. R4 w5 as a school (which you approved of in a recent letter) for six months, and to request that you will be pleased to obtain a Protestant Teacher to commence duty about 1st Sept. at a Salary not to exceed $60.00 Sixty dollars per month accomodation available on the school premises with a Kitchen attached is more suitable for a male teacher. The probable pupils will be 2 males and possible 5 females all of one family who live a half mile distant.
Your etc
John Haigh
(11)(ESSAY - PAGE 2)

Reference 7.
Wabamun, Alberta
May 17th, 1919
C.O. Hicks Esqre MA
Sirs,
I received your letter of April 30th and immediately requested our Chairman to order a meeting of our Trustees -
They met today at my House, all were present and perfectly unanimous as to their actions -
The following is a copy of minutes -
"An important letter from the Department of Education per Mr. C.C. Hicks (Inspector of Schools) was read by the Secretary; re the proposed education of Children now in the District.
It was moved by James H. Halhead and carried - that the Secretary replies to the Department to the effect that the Sylvan District is now too small and poor to run a school; and that (end of p. 41)

2) the only two ways out of the difficulty are, either to have returned to District the Farms which were a few years ago taken away from the District; or to split the District and consolidate with Wabamun or Lac St Anne respectively.
Inclusion of NW 20-53-3-5 not recommended"
I may say, Sirs, that my Board would rather maintain Sylvan as a separate District if all those Farms are brought back including SW 24-53-4-5; on the which stands the Building (rented) formerly used as a School. We might possibly rent it again. As the District now stands running a School is an utter impossibility.
There are only 8 settlers altogether. They have to work elsewhere for a living - even have to get (end of p. 42)(ESSAY - PAGE 5)

3) money for their Taxes from outside. If the Taxes are much increased these 8 Settlers will be driven away -
Out of 45 quarter sections taxable 22 are owned by the Western Canada Land Co. from which they receive no income.
They have, honourably, met their School obligations up to now but, if we make their burden too heavy, we shall "Kill the goose which lays the golden egg."
Even now, it requires much pressure to get any money at all out of the remaining 23.
There are 9 children of school age at the present moment; living in our District, 4 of them just came in and they have upset all our plans. We had, previous to that, practically arranged to get the 5 children to Lac St Anne. (end of p. 43)

4) This last family coming in for the 3rd time, probably only for a time is a "bolt from the blue" for we know their past see-saw movements. Probably as soon as we have gone too far, to draw back, these shifting people will shift back to Edmonton. They have 9 children in family two over school age 3 young. The man still works at Edmonton as a mechanic. He dumps his Wife and big family down in that lonely wild spot for a time because a restless fit is on them and something doesn't suit at Edmonton. And their action means, Sirs that the other 7 poor hardworking settlers, and the Western Canada Land Co. have got to find $15 a year more from each quarter section. Impossible. My heart bleeds for them!! (end of p. 44)(ESSAY - PAGE 2)

5) And the most wicked thing about it all is -- This Mr. F. Houghton owes us 4 years taxes ($26.10) himself, and doesn't attempt to pay them. This Tax arrears business is becoming almost unbearable to me. Do send an Inspector, Sirs, to drive around the District! He would soon be able to tell the Deputy Minister more about the state & poverty & conditions of the Sylvan S.D. than I can tell him. - I undertook to do the work of this District in 1918 for $30 instead of $50, the usual salary. There were then no children. Although during 1919 I have had 3 times more work to do than during 1918 the Trustees can't even pay me the usual $50. No Funds!
Yours respectfully
Thomas Street
(45)