The Ottawa Ladies' College was a

non-denominational A non-denominational person or organization is one that does not follow (or is not restricted to) any particular or specific religious denomination. Overview The term has been used in the context of various faiths including Jainism, Baháʼí Fait ...

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

educational institution founded in 1869 for the purpose of providing a quality education to women. The private school operated on First Avenue in

The Glebe The Glebe is a neighbourhood in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is located just south of Ottawa's downtown area in the Capital Ward. According to the Glebe Community Association, the neighbourhood is bounded on the north by the Queensway, on the ...

from 1914 to 1942. During the Second World War, the Ladies College facilities were used by the Canadian Military. Later as Carleton College, the premises played a vital part in the establishment of

Carleton University Carleton University is an English-language public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1942 as Carleton College, the institution originally operated as a private, non-denominational evening college to serve returning World ...

.The Glebe, The Ottawa Journal 21 Jun 1969, Page 39
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History

Originally named the Presbyterian Ladies' College because of its association with the

Presbyterian Church Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

, the Ottawa Ladies' College was founded in

Centretown Centretown is a neighbourhood in Somerset Ward, in central Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is defined by the city as "the area bounded on the north by Gloucester Street and Lisgar Street, on the east by the Rideau Canal, on the south by the Quee ...

in 1869 by

Henry Franklin Bronson Henry Franklin Bronson (February 24, 1817 – December 7, 1889) was an American-Canadian lumber baron known as one of Ottawa's early entrepreneurs, establishing a large lumber mill at Chaudière Falls on the Ottawa River. Bronson's efforts ...

. The college was re-established in 1914 in a large building designed by Edgar Lewis Horwood located at 268 First Ave. In 1942, the college was expropriated for use as barracks for the

Canadian Women's Army Corps The Canadian Women's Army Corps was a non-combatant branch of the Canadian Army for women, established during the Second World War, with the purpose of releasing men from those non-combatant roles in the Canadian armed forces as part of expanding ...

. In 1947, the building served as the campus of the new Carleton College, which would evolve into

. The university used the facilities until it moved to its present site beside the

Rideau River The Rideau River (french: Rivière Rideau) is a river in Eastern Ontario, Canada. The river flows north from Upper Rideau Lake and empties into the Ottawa River at the Rideau Falls in Ottawa, Ontario. Its length is . As explained in a writin ...

in 1959. The

Ottawa Board of Education The Ottawa Board of Education (OBE) was the public school board for Ottawa from 1970 to 1998. The board was created as part of a province-wide reorganization of the public education system. Previously, elementary schools had been supervised by th ...

used the building for offices until 1998 when it was sold to a developer to create condominiums.

Purpose and courses of instruction

The purpose of the college was the improvement of women's education. Grade levels were grade 1 to post-secondary. Courses included languages, mathematics, science, athletics, handicrafts, and household arts such as practical cooking, needlework and sewing. Horseback riding and

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...

courses were also offered.

References

Capital Neighborhoods - Ottawa Ladies' College
Retrieved: 2012-08-21
The Story of the Glebe
Retrieved: 2012-08-21

Retrieved: 2012-08-21
Carleton University Archives and Research Collections - Ottawa Ladies' College
Retrieved: 2012-08-21 {{authority control Buildings and structures in Ottawa Defunct universities and colleges in Canada Educational institutions established in 1869 Former women's universities and colleges in Canada Universities and colleges in Ottawa Colleges in Ontario 1869 establishments in Canada Defunct schools in Ottawa Women in Ontario