Discover the quirky story of “George,” the imaginary student who helped Creston, B.C., keep its Grade 13 program alive in 1939.
A Mystery Buried in School History
Have you ever heard of a student who never existed, yet still changed the course of a school’s future? That’s exactly what happened in the small town of Creston, B.C., back in 1939. His name was George—or at least, that’s what the school records said.
While Creston has plenty of colourful tales, from bank heists to cemetery mishaps, few are as curious as the story of this phantom student.
A Brand-New School, Big Dreams
In January 1939, Creston Valley Junior-Senior High School opened its doors. Built for $85,000 during the final years of the Great Depression, the building symbolized progress for the community. The new school featured modern classrooms, a library, an auditorium, and even specialized spaces for science, music, and home economics.
The facility didn’t just raise the bar for education; it also created opportunities for clubs, sports, and vocational training that smaller schools in nearby Canyon, Wynndel, and Alice Siding couldn’t provide.
Controversy and Consolidation
Not everyone supported the idea of consolidating schools. Parents feared higher taxes and worried about transporting kids on rough backroads. But after new buses were purchased and infrastructure improvements promised, the plan pushed through. By the time the school officially opened on January 11, 1939, the community gathered in celebration.
As local resident Marj Gilmore reflected decades later: “Today all of this is taken for granted, but it was a giant step forward in 1939.”
The Grade 13 Problem
One of the new school’s biggest points of pride was its ability to offer Grade 13, also known as senior matriculation. This extra year of high school prepared students for university or advanced training, a rare opportunity for smaller communities.
But there was a catch: the provincial Ministry of Education required at least 12 students to register. Only 11 had signed up.
And that’s where George entered the picture.
Meet George, the Invisible Classmate
To save the program, administrators added a twelfth name—George—to the official records. Though George never stepped into a classroom, he existed on paper as a fully enrolled student.
Hints of the joke surfaced almost immediately. The first edition of Hi-Lites, the school’s student newspaper, included a cheeky line in its gossip column:
“We want to know who ‘George’ is. Mr. Marchbank seems to think he’s in Grade 13.”
W.A. Marchbank, the principal-turned-teacher at the newly consolidated school, may have been in on the gag—or maybe not. What we do know is that George secured Creston’s Grade 13 program, leaving behind a legend still chuckled about 86 years later.
A Legacy of Laughter
While most school stories fade into dusty archives, George’s tale endures as a reminder of small-town creativity and determination. Without him, Creston might have lost its senior matriculation program altogether.
For more quirky pieces of Creston’s past, you can always explore the treasures at the Creston Museum.
