From the archives | March 1954
Route to school a hazardous one
Two high school students from McKinleyville who are attending Derby Superior School had the misfortune of being nearly drowned on two different days of last week while crossing the ice over the Miramichi River on their way to school.
Monday morning Mary Duthie, 16, a Grade X student, fell into the river off an unsafe approach to save herself she was able to grasp hold of a part of the approach and pull herself to safety after being nearly exhausted. Miss Duthie was alone at the time.
Wednesday afternoon returning from school, Ralph Harrigan 15, a Grade XI student went through the ice. He managed to get one elbow up on the surface around him and by alert thinking of a fellow student, Allan Harper, who was crossing the ice with him, got out.
Allan grasped Ralph’s arm and after several attempts helped pull him to the surface and to safety, endangering his own life in doing so as he was gradually slipping close to the open space.
Ralph says he owes his life to Allan.
“Only for Allan I would never have made it” said Ralph “as I was nearly all in and knew that I couldn’t hold out much longer.”
The depth of water where both students went in is about 20 feet.
There are 13 students striving to get their education in this manner.
The question they ask is this— ”Why can’t we have the same facilities to get to school as other students in the country?” Why do our lives have to be endangered because we—like other boys and girls—want to secure an education in order to have something for our future?” The pupils who in the past attended D.S.S. and who are still attending there have to walk several miles, then cross the river and walk one miles to reach school, returning the same route after school.
They have always been faced with severe and dangerous hazards all year around in order to get an education, which is well earned by the sacrifice of the pupils and also of their parents.
Past effort to secure safer transportation have failed.
The parents and the districts concerned feel the time has come for immediate action for their children’s safety if they are to receive the benefit of education.
(Page 8, March 26, 1954, The North Shore Leader).
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