The first elementary school in the Yennadon area was South Lillooet Elementary, which was built in June and July of 1895. It was located at the corner of 224th Street and 136th Avenue. At that time, 224th Street was called Weeks Road. The school was located on the flood plain of the North and South Lillooet rivers – each renamed a branch of the “Alouette” in 1914 – and it was not always easy to get to the school, especially before 1926, when the construction of a dam at Alouette Lake would drastically reduce water levels. Some children came by rowboat during the wet parts of the year, and the children of the Edge family travelled on a raised plank gangway built by their father.
The first teacher at the South Lillooet School was Peter McTavish, who was only 17 years old. Salary for a teacher around 1900 was less than $5 per month, and the school’s annual budget was never more than $40. By 1910 a new school was needed to accommodate a burgeoning community. The old school building was moved south on 224th and was later used as a residence, and a second school building was built on the same site. This school continued in use as a primary school until 1952, when the first school to be called Yennadon Elementary was built on 232nd Street. Yennadon Elementary was slated for replacement in 1988 but rather than demolition, the new school was built in 1993 nearby on 128th Ave while the older building was retained as a community centre.