Former Marengo principal looks back on decades teaching in the North

By Joan Janzen

Wayne Cormier spent the final years of his lengthy teaching career at Westcliffe School in Marengo, where he was the principal from 2000 to 2004. After his retirement he enjoyed living in Marengo prior to moving to Eatonia Oasis Living (EOL) a few years ago. As Canada marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Wayne took time to reminisce about his many years of teaching Cree, Dene and Métis students.

Former Marengo resident and teacher Wayne Cormier is enjoying living at Eatonia Oasis Living and shared fond memories of his extensive teaching career in Saskatchewan. PHOTO BY JOAN JANZEN

Although he has spent more than forty years in Saskatchewan, he is originally from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, where he received his elementary, high school and university education.

He attended Saint Mary's University in Halifax, where he attained a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Education and a Master's in Philosophy.

"When I took my Bachelor of Education I was told only two out of four graduates would get a job in Nova Scotia. They had an overabundance of students and an underabundance of positions," he explained. However, he was told if he was willing to travel, a position could be found.

In 1974 he was driving taxi at night and received an offer to teach at Reindeer Lake, located 220 km north of La Ronge, Saskatchewan.

The Nova Scotian said he didn't even know how to spell Saskatchewan, much less have time to find out what it was like there. Nevertheless, the pressure of student loans motivated him to make the move while finishing his degree.

"I said to my mother if it doesn't work out, I'll be back in three weeks," he recalled. But he ended up becoming a permanent Saskatchewan resident.

At his home in Nova Scotia, Wayne lived close to the ocean and said he spent half his life swimming. "I still miss the ocean," he said. "I got quite a shock at the 40 below temperatures. I learned the hard way and froze my hands pushing a gentleman's car out of the ditch."

"I was a high school-qualified teacher and my first experience was teaching a Grade 3 class. They spoke mostly Cree, and very little English. It was very interesting," he said.

Four years later he got his first principalship at Canoe Lake, about 130 km northeast of Meadow Lake, where he taught Grade 8.

"There were lots of rivers and lakes. Not salt water, but it was good enough," he said. His students were farm kids who valued their education.

A few years later he moved to a reserve in Buffalo River, about an hour and a half west of Buffalo Narrows, and ended up staying for seven years.

There he taught the Dene people, who spoke English at school but spoke Dene amongst themselves, and the elders of the reserve ensured the students worked hard and were honest.

"The Dene people have a real soft spot in my heart because they were so honest. I got to make some really good friends there, people I call my brothers and sisters. I still keep in touch with some of them," he said. He also learned some of the language.

Life on the reserve included lots of hunting for moose and cougar, fishing and trapping, and they enjoyed curling, baseball, bingo and playing cards. "In winter dog racing was a big thing," he added.

The following years of his teaching career were spent at a Métis community in Sandy Bay, Saskatchewan, near Flin Flon. "It was a bigger school, more students, more problems with drugs and stuff," he recalled.

This was followed by two years spent at Turnor Lake, south of La Ronge. And prior to moving to Marengo, he taught for a number of years at a Métis community at Green Lake, east of Meadow Lake.

Wayne loved his teaching journey, which began in Reindeer Lake and concluded in Marengo. "I was amazed how dedicated the students were, and their parents made sure they knew they were there for their education in most of those places," he recalled.

"Teaching was fun. It was fun when they saw what you were teaching and they got it. And there was good staff in all those places."

Wayne loved living in his log home in Marengo, and because he was a teacher at heart, he spent much of his retirement reading and studying.

Although he would rather be living in his log home, he said he feels very fortunate to be living at EOL, where the staff, board, directors and community are very supportive.

"It's just amazing the support they have for us," he said.

Thanks for sharing your teaching journey with us, Wayne.