History of LDSS

The current LDSS when it opened in 2003.

 

The Burns Lake area had numerous small rural schools in operation in the early part of the 1900s that helped educate children. Most students did not continue to study after their middle teen years as ranching, trapping, farming and sawmilling required the help of all family members.

 

The first small group of students entered Burns Lake Superior School in 1934, but only one student managed to finish and graduate in 1936. This person was William Wren Gilgan (1917-2012). A special recognition has been placed in the graduate hallway at LDSS to honour Mr. Gilgan.

 

As the population in the area grew a new school replaced the old school building in 1951 and was situated along Highway 16. In 1962, the high school became known as Lakes District Secondary and the nickname "Lakers" was added soon after.

 

From 1951 to the late 1980s, this school site was expanded and redeveloped several times. A student residence building was built in 1965 to support students from the rural communities surrounding Burns Lake. After bussing routes improved in the late 1970s, the residence building became a resource center, offices and alternate school.

 

In the mid-1990s, the building was deemed too old to renovate, so planning began to build a new high school, but budget delays and government changes pushed the construction back to 2001. In 2003, a new and modern high school was completed adjacent to the old school on Highway 16.