Tiny schoolhouse the last of its kind in Quebec

Down a long stretch of highway, next to a cornfield, and under the branches of a weeping willow, sits a small white building with red doors.

Built in 1919, Soulanges School still stands as it once did -- a centre for learning spanning almost a century.

It’s the last schoolhouse of its kind in Quebec, a tiny two-room school where elementary school children of all grades learn together.

The schoolhouse, in Saint-Telesphore, near the Ontario border, is part of the Lester B. Pearson school board, and caters to Anglophone children in the area – there are just 23 who attend.

“It’s really become the last one-room schoolhouse in Quebec, and it's still functioning like it did in the past,” said French teacher Marie-Helene Townshend.

Townsend teaches French and David Patterson teaches English – they both instruct students ranging from Kindergarten to grade six.

“The older children help the younger children, so it actually facilitates the teaching. It makes it easier, because you're not the only one who's trying to impart the knowledge,” said Patterson.

The curriculum is the same as any other school, say the teachers, but the school hasn't been without its challenges; the threat of closing has come more than once.

When faced with closure, parents worked together to keep Soulanges open, and even rallied to build a second part of the school – all constructed with donated time and materials.

There's a love for this building, even though it’s tiny, said principal Jason Ferris.

“There's one bathroom, which we're working on. You can imagine at break time, the line of 23 kids -- it almost goes through the door,” he said.

In seven years, the historic building will reach a milestone.

“We're closing in on 2019, and that's really our goal: to celebrate 100 years of learning in this building,” said Townshend.