History and Tradition
St. Joseph’s College School was founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto in 1854, three years after the first nuns from the order came to the city. Originally called “St. Joseph’s Academy for Young Ladies,” the name was changed to “St. Joseph’s College School, a Residential and Day School for the Higher and Primary Education of Young Ladies and Little Girls” when the school moved to Bay and St. Alban’s Street in 1863. In 1927, the school was renamed “St. Joseph’s College School” when it was moved to a building separate from the convent.
St. Joseph’s College has a history of promoting girls’ and women’s education. In 1911, the school requested to be affiliated with the University of Toronto--a request the then-president of the university, Sir Robert Falconer, granted. St. Joseph’s was officially tied to St. Michael’s College, the Roman Catholic college of the University of Toronto, in 1912. This resulted in women being able to take courses at St. Michael’s College for the first time. In 1928, the Academy was renamed St. Joseph’s College School.
When the Ontario government purchased the convent property to construct four office towers, the Sisters of St. Joseph relocated the College School across the street at its present location. Students helped with the move, carrying furniture across Wellesley Street. St. Joseph’s College School at 74 Wellesley Street West opened on September 3, 1961. In 1967, it entered an agreement with the Metropolitan Separate School Board (now The Toronto Catholic District School Board) where Grades 9 and 10 were placed into the publicly funded system, while later grades continued to pay tuition. In 1984, the Ontario government expanded funding in Grades 11-13, the College School became entirely publicly-funded in 1987 as it was ceased as a private school, at which time the Sisters leased the school to the Metropolitan Separate School Board. The last Sister of St. Joseph to serve as principal retired in June 1996.
The Toronto Catholic District School Board bought the College School property from the Sisters of St. Joseph in December 2007.
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