Visit the Titotay Memorial School Photo Gallery

According to teacher, Sheila Flesher, the children at Titotay School
receive their books from IODE Laurentian Chapter with cries of delight.

A truck thunders in along the ice road, bringing vital supplies to the Cat Lake Reserve.

Titotay Memorial School, Cat Lake, Ontario

Titotay Memorial School logo

The Cat Lake First Nation Reserve - situated some 180 kilometres north of Sioux Lookout on the western boundary of Ontario - is one of the province's 31 very isolated communities. Since 2005, when IODE Laurentian Chapter adopted the grade 5/6 class at Titotay Memorial School, parcels of books and educational items have been sent on a regular basis. In September 2010 the grade 2/3 class was also adopted by the Chapter.

Every few months, members of the Chapter's Education Committee meet in Ottawa to select books and classroom items for the two classes and package them up for shipment to Cat Lake. The 538-acre Ojibwe Reserve has a population of some 570 people, almost half of them being under the age of 15. It is these youngsters that are the focus of IODE Laurentian Chapter's interest and concern.

Some of Grade 2/3 class preparing for the fun of Halloween.

Adopt-a-Class, 2005

In 2005, Laurentian Chapter resolved - as a part of a larger provincial initiative - to adopt a First Nations class in a remote area of Ontario. They contacted Titotay Memorial School, which has around 150 students ranging from junior kindergarten to grade 8, and offered to partner with the grade 5/6 class. "Adopting" a class means a two-way flow of information is opened up and through this books, magazine subscriptions, photographs and other items are able to open up new horizons for the children to a larger world. At the same time the Chapter's members are able to gain a fascinating, first-hand introduction to life in a small native community.

The idea of "adoption" means providing the little extras that are so difficult to come by in such a remote area. As well as books for the students and teachers the Chapter dispatches subscriptions to Canadian Geographic, National Geographic and KNOW, sports equipment such as skipping ropes and hackey sacks, socks, toques, scarves and gloves in the winter and at Christmas games, decorations, candy canes and toys along with a small gift for each of the teachers.

Sheila Flesher, who currently teaches the Grade 6 class, is a highly motivated, enthusiastic and creative woman with a great sense of humour - which comes in handy whenever the electricity or water fails, as they frequently do, especially when freezing rain or high winds sweep the town. Agnieszka Marszalek, who currently teaches the Grade 2/3 class is equally as good a teacher. Both teachers together make a fantastic team and their contribution to the school and community cannot be underestimated. Every opportunity is used to assist in the education of the students. Sleepovers, after school activities, camping, fund raising, baking birthday cakes, growing flowers for Mothers Day are all part of the two teachers’ days in Cat Lake. One project of particular note is their introduction of gardening to the school and the community in recent years. Last summer flowers and a variety of vegetables flourished in gardens all over the community. Seeds and gardening items now make up part of the parcels sent to the school. After school, math classes are also offered by Sheila, for adults in the community.

A sad goodbye to the summer flowers and vegetables until next year.

The Titotay Memorial School burned down some 14 years ago and has yet to be rebuilt. In the meantime, Sheila's classroom is a portable set at some distance from the other temporary buildings. In the dark of winter, she always takes candles and a few precious batteries out to the class with her in case of power outages.

A new school is planned, and the plans and a model are ready, but getting building materials up to this isolated community all depends upon the condition of the ice roads during the winter months.

The burden of isolation

Isolation is the key-note. The nearest town is Pickle Lake, 115 kilometres northeast, but it is small and can only be reached by chartered aircraft. Most significant business is done in Sioux Lookout, which is the community's doorway to the larger world. As for Cat Lake, in winter months the ice road usually opens for three or four months, allowing trucks to transport heavy goods, including fuel and building materials. In 2010, however, spring came disastrously early, and the winter road was open for less than a month. Nevertheless, the winter fleet of trucks - running day and night - managed to bring in building supplies for the police station, where three constables maintain order. Cat Lake is mostly a peaceful community, where alcohol is prohibited.

In other seasons, the community can only be reached by air, and planes fly in at least twice a day. One of the airline companies - Wasaya - is a native-owned business. There are three other companies as well, each with several Cessnas, Beavers or Otters in service. The planes come in on floats during the summertime, skis in the winter and wheels during break-up and freeze-up. The plane usually lands at the school dock, unless there is too much wind, but these versatile workhorses of the north can land almost anywhere, even at outlying fish and moose camps.

Thanks to the remoteness of the community, prices are high. There is no bank in town and no post office (only a room in the Band office where incoming mail is gathered and sorted). There is only one grocery store on the reserve, where a single banana costs on average 75 cents, an English cucumber $6 and a bottle of Javex $14. As well, there are two convenience stores that sell pop and chips. There is also a gas bar in town and a nursing station, but the nearest hospital is in Sioux Lookout. Veterinarians fly into the community periodically to spay and neuter pet dogs and to vaccinate and de-worm them.

7,000 years of culture

The Cat Lake settlement may be isolated, but it is also rich in history and culture. The first European traders made contact with this 7,000-year-old community in 1783, and reserve status was granted nearly 200 years later, in 1973.

The teachers, Sheila and Agnieszka, keep in close touch with IODE Laurentian Chapter, by sending photographs and reports on special events at the school - for example, the Mini-Olympics that were hosted with great inventiveness when Canada was hosting the Winter Olympics and The Royal Wedding Celebrations in April 2011.

Both English and Ojibwe are spoken at Cat Lake. The people there want their children to be proud of and retain their Ojibwe heritage but at the same time, they realize that education is essential if the children are going to prosper and thrive in life. The teachers and the community members ensure that the students are exposed to the various cultural and traditional customs of the community such as the building of sweat lodges, the curing of hides, fishing and hunting.

Summer of 2011 meant that the whole community had to be evacuated because of the forest fires. Fortunately no damage occurred to the homes but power was cut off for a lengthy period of time and perishable foods and freezer contents were lost. It is yet to be seen what long term damage has occurred to the traditional hunting and fishing areas that surround Cat Lake.

The electronic doorway

Computers have made a real difference to the isolation at Cat Lake, with letters and photographs flying through cyberspace at will (or almost). The school has a computer lab, and computers are available. Unfortunately the internet is down more often than not, and a simple malfunction of the computer system is extremely hard to repair in such an isolated location. A technician from Sioux Lookout has to buy a $600 plane seat in order to make a house call at Cat Lake; his tools occupy the adjacent seat for another $600! Until this situation improves greatly the traditional need for a variety of books and craft items is vital.

Grade 2/3 make their own wreath for Remembrance Day.

The mission of the IODE pinpoints education as a means to enrich the lives of individual Canadians. IODE Laurentian Chapter has established a warm and supportive relationship with the teachers and students of Grades 6 and 2/3 at Titotay Memorial School and has received numerous thank-you letters from the students. Laurentian Chapter women are also connecting into and learning about life on a Northern Ontario reserve. That is what we call "win-win."

Hats, scarves, socks and mitts to keep out the Northern cold are received with enthusiasm.

We want to extend our sincere thanks to Wasaya Airways for their assistance in helping us get our parcels up to Titotay Memorial School in Cat Lake.