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The provision of western education in Inuvik began immediately during the community’s construction, with a temporary Federal school in 1956. Several of the attending children came from Aklavik, from where community government officials were strongly encouraging families to relocate. In 1959 a large new regional school opened, officially named Sir Alexander Mackenzie School (SAMS) in 1961. This school housed all grades until Samuel Hearne Secondary School was built in 1966. By that time SAMS had 38 classrooms and capacity for 890 students from grades 1 to 12.

In 1969 all educational facilities in Inuvik were transferred to the Government of the Northwest Territories, who assumed responsibilities for education from the federal government. The Beaufort-Delta Divisional Education Council was established in 1989 to administer regional schools.

In addition to residents of the town of Inuvik, the student body at SAMS for much of its history also included residential school students brought from communities across the Beaufort Delta region and the Arctic to stay at the two major Federal hostels, Stringer Hall (which closed in 1975) and Grollier Hall (which closed in 1996).

SAMS continued to operate as an elementary school until 2012, when it was replaced by the new East Three Elementary School. The SAMS building was demolished in May 2014.

Samuel Hearne Secondary School (SHSS) began operating in 1966 and was officially opened two years later by Minister Jean Chretien. Prior to 1966, Inuvik students from all grades attended Sir Alexander Mackenzie School, which continued operating as an elementary school after SHSS opened. The school was originally administered by the federal government; it was transferred to the Government of the Northwest Territories in 1969, and then to the Beaufort-Delta Divisional Education Council, which was established in 1989 to administer regional schools.

The original high school building included two science rooms, a library, industrial arts and home economics facilities and a gym. A 10 classroom addition was completed in 1972, and several trade shops were added in the early 1980s to meet the needs of a vocational certificate program, including an auto shop in 1982, carpentry shop in 1983, and general mechanics shop in 1984.

In addition to residents of the town of Inuvik, the student body at SHSS also included residential school students brought from communities across the Beaufort Delta region and the Arctic to stay at the two major Federal hostels, Stringer Hall (which closed in 1975) and Grollier Hall (which closed in 1996). After the closure of the hostels, students from some small communities continued to attend SHSS for the upper high school grades while boarding in private homes in the town.

SHSS closed in 2012 when it was replaced by the new East Three Secondary School, and the building was demolished in June 2013.

Mary Saich was born in Quill Lake, Saskatchewan on November 26, 1913 to parents Dr. Alexander J. Saich and Alma T. Saich. She was educated at the University of Saskatechewan Normal School. In August 1940, she travelled on the S.S. Distributor to Aklavik where she had accepted a teaching position at All Saints Residential School. She taught in Aklavik for two years and returned to Biggar, Saskatchewan at the end of her teaching contract. Her career included the position of Assistant Superintendent in Kindergarten and Primary Education in the Greater Victoria School District, however she spent her last two years prior to retirement teaching in the classroom at View Royal Elementary School in Victoria, B.C. She died on July 29, 2002 in Victoria, B.C.

The provision of western education in Fort Providence began at the Providence Mission School in 1867, sometimes known as “Our Lady of Fort Providence Residential School” but more consistently known as the “Sacred Heart Mission School” or “Sacred Heart Residential School” (“École du Sacré-Coeur” in French). The school was operated by the Grey Nuns and initially was meant to provide a boarding and day school for Hudson Bay Company employee children. It soon focussed on orphaned and needy children and is known as the first residential school in Canada’s north, although other sites of shorter duration possibly predate Sacred Heart.

Sacred Heart Residential School took in both day pupils and residential boarders. It was chronically under supported, and the Grey Nuns threatened to close or possibly did close it in 1881/82, and reopened with Federal Government funding later in the 1880s. The original log structure was expanded in 1912, and a new three story school built in 1930. An extension was added to this in 1948.

Students came from communities throughout the north, and even as far south as Fort McMurray and Fond-du-Lac. In later years children came from primarily the Deh Cho region; home communities included Fort Providence, Fort Simpson, Fort Liard, Wrigley, Norman Wells, Tulita, Ptarmigan Point, Yellowknife, Fort Smith, Trout Rock and Hay River, and sometimes others. It is unclear when the residential school closed, as historical sources give dates ranging from 1953 to 1960, but the Federal Elizabeth Ward Elementary School opened in 1958 and Sacred Heart Residence likely closed in 1959.

Laura (McLeod) Loutitt was born March 2, 1904 in Fort Nelson. She was the oldest child to parents Fred and Margaret (Firth) McLeod, and the oldest of 12 siblings. She attended the Hay River Anglican Mission for 8 years before moving briefly to Fort Providence, and then to Fort Smith for work. She married Colin Loutitt of Fort Chipewyan on September 26, 1926, with whom she had 10 children: Elmer, Ernest (Ernie), Mavis, Shirley, John, Sandy, Freddy, Roy, Allan, and Jack.

In her earlier years, she worked aboard the HBC ship Distributor. Upon her marriage in 1926, she moved to Fort Chipewyan for four years, before returning to Fort Smith in 1930. She worked as cook for the NTCL Company, working seasonally aboard the boats for about 10 years, including the Radium King, Porphyry, Diesel 8, and the Richard E. She also worked for the RCMP as cook for 31 years overall, beginning early in her career, and then resuming again in 1960 for 17 years. In between, she cooked for pilots and passengers for the PWA.

Loutitt raised her children in between and during these jobs. In the off season, she worked as cook at local hotels, and later running her own café. She died in May 1990.

Gordon Robertson Education Centre (GREC) opened in 1971 as a junior and senior high school and vocational school. In addition to local students from Iqaluit, its enrolment included students from other communities who were housed in Ukkivik Hall, which opened along with GREC and closed in 1996. In the early 1990s, the school was renamed Inuksuk High School.

Maxine Roberta Colbourne was born in Wyvern, Nova Scotia in 1934 and grew up around that area, near Oxford, Nova Scotia.

By July 1957, she had moved to Aklavik, Northwest Territories and was working at the Aklavik Federal Day School, where she taught Grade 4 during the 1957-1958 school year. In 1958 she returned to Halifax to attend a summer course and obtain her remaining credits for a permanent teaching license. That fall, she returned to Aklavik to teach Grades 4-5 at the Federal Day School for the 1958-1959 school year and became involved with the school radio station. From at least September-December 1959 she was teaching Grades 3-4 at the Aklavik Federal Day School.

She then moved to Inuvik to teach at the newly-opened Sir Alexander Mackenzie School (Inuvik Federal Day School), where she taught Grade 4 from 1960-1962, and Grade 6 from 1963-1965.

As of 1963 she became involved with the Local Association of Guides and Brownies, specifically as a Brown Owl with the second Brownie Pack. She has been remembered as an accomplished curler who also spent a lot of time dog sledding. In 1965 she travelled to Fairbanks, Alaska to attend a curling Bonspiel.

She became involved with Daniel L. Norris, who was later Commissioner of the Northwest Territories from 1989-1994. Their son, Danny Lee Trevor Colbourne, was born in 1966 in Edmonton. In January 1968 she had a second son (Sean Gregory Harrison Colbourne) with A. Biggs; she continued to live in the Northwest Territories until at least that time.

In 1968, she and her two sons moved to British Columbia, where she worked at Lower Post Indian Residential School. She then taught at Lejac Residential School for several years in the early 1970s. Her sons attended school there as well. They then moved to Chetwynd, British Columbia, where they lived from about 1974-1977. While living in British Columbia, she took summer courses to upgrade her teacher’s license.

In 1977, she died of an aneurysm, and her sons went to live with her brother in Nova Scotia.

In 1861, Bishop Grandin selected a site for an Oblate mission which he called Notre Dame de la Providence. Six years later, four Grey Nuns (Sister Adeline Lapointe, Sister Michel des Saints, Sister Amant, and Sister Elizabeth Ward) and two lay missionaries (Domitelle Letendre and Domitelles Lortie) arrived in Fort Providence to establish a boarding school and hospital. In 1927, a new residential school was built to accommodate students from as far off as Fort Smith and Aklavik. This institution was closed in 1958 and replaced with a new day school named after Sister Elizabeth Ward.