The Bishop Strachan School (BSS) is an

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

day and boarding school for girls in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada. The school has approximately 950 students, including 70 boarding students, ranging from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 (approximately ages 4–18). The School is named after John Strachan, the first

Anglican bishop The Anglican ministry is both the leadership and agency of Christian service in the Anglican Communion. ''Ministry'' commonly refers to the office of ordained clergy: the ''threefold order'' of bishops, priests and deacons. Anglican ministry incl ...

of Toronto, and was founded by John Langtry in 1867. The founders' intention was to educate girls to be leaders. The campus is situated within the Forest Hill neighbourhood of

. The main building was designed by

Henry Sproatt Henry Sproatt (June 14, 1866 – October 4, 1934) was a Canadian architect who was prominent during the early 20th century. Born in Toronto, he trained in Europe and in New York City. He formed a partnership in 1890 with another celebrated arch ...

. BSS Boarding welcomes Grade 8 to 12 students from Canada and around the world. The Senior School offers a wide range of courses in both traditional subjects and courses such as Media Arts and Design Technology. It offers Advanced Placement courses in some subjects. Dr. Angela Terpstra is the current head of school.

History

The Bishop Strachan School has had a variety of temporary homes since the founding: First opened in September 1867 at Pinehurst, formerly Mrs Forster's Girls School (1853-1866) on west side of McCaul Street between Dundas Street and Grange Road near the Art Gallery of Toronto (currently the

Art Gallery of Ontario The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO; ) is an art museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located on Dundas Street, Dundas Street West in the Grange Park (neighbourhood), Grange Park neighbourhood of downtown Toronto, the museum complex takes up of phys ...

). The site is now OCAD Sharp Centre. Relocated in 1868 to John Strachan's Bishop's Palace on north side of Front Street between Simcoe and York Streets after his death in 1867. Built in 1818 it was purchased by Sir John Carling and demolished in 1890. Today it is occupied by commercial building at 150 Front Street West. Relocated to Wykeham Hall near Bay and College Streets in 1870, this was the former home of Sir James Buchanan Macaulay or Wykeham Lodge. After the schools departure it became Central Military Convalescence Hospital and finally College Street Armouries before being demolished in 1928 to make way for

Eaton's The T. Eaton Company Limited, later known as Eaton's, was a Canadian department store chain that was once the largest in the country. It was founded in 1869 in Toronto by Timothy Eaton, an immigrant from what is now Northern Ireland. Eaton's g ...

College Street store. A marker on the College Park building at the southwest corner of Yonge and College Streets provides history of the site. In September 1915, The Bishop Strachan School opened as a large gothic-style structure, made of Credit Valley limestone, at its present-day Forest Hill location at 298 Lonsdale Road. In 2017, the school completed a $35 million renovation. This new addition included new classrooms, a fitness centre, a full gymnasium and underground parking. The new wing creates a functional courtyard for playgrounds while reducing the mass of the building along the residential streetscape. To preserve the highly valued outdoor playing field and tennis courts, the fitness centre, gymnasium and parking are located below ground and connected to the main building via a skylit corridor link. This new structure pays homage to the original architecture while bringing the school into the realm of 21st-century architecture. Taking advantage of the COVID-19 shutdown, the entire front facade of the school including the chapel was restored which included 100% repointing, 100% stone cleaning and restoration of 87 metal / leaded windows in 2021.

Notable alumni

* Viola Allen - Actress * Thea Andrews - Actress and TV personality *

Margaret Bannerman Margaret Bannerman (born Marguerite Grand; December 15, 1896 – June 14, 1976) was a Canadian actress. She is known for her work in the English films '' The Gay Lord Quex'', ''Lady Audley's Secret'' and '' Hindle Wakes''. She had a successful ca ...

- Actress * Caroline Cameron - Sportsnet Anchor * Margaret Campbell - Municipal and provincial politician * Lin Chi-ling - Taiwanese model and actress * Judith Clute - painter, graphic designer, print-maker, and illustrator * Anne Innis Dagg - Canadian

zoologist Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the structure, embryology, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct, and how they interact with their ecosystems. Zoology is one ...

biologist A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual Cell (biology), cell, a multicellular organism, or a Community (ecology), community of Biological inter ...

, feminist, and author of numerous books * Marina Endicott - Canadian novelist * Michelle Giroux - Canadian stage actress * Kate Hewlett - Canadian actress, writer and songwriter * Kai (Alessia De Gasperis Brigante) - Singer-songwriter *

Larysa Kondracki Larysa Kondracki is a Canadian producer, director and screenwriter. Her debut feature film, ''The Whistleblower'', was released in 2011 and received nominations for six Genies at the 32nd Genie Awards, including Canadian Screen Award for Best Mo ...

- Writer/director of ''

The Whistleblower ''The Whistleblower'' is a 2010 Canadian biographical drama film directed by Larysa Kondracki and starring Rachel Weisz. Kondracki and Eilis Kirwan wrote the screenplay, which was inspired by the story of Kathryn Bolkovac, a Nebraska police ...

'' *

Emily Murphy Emily Murphy (born Emily Gowan Ferguson; 14 March 186826 October 1933) was a Canadian women's rights activist and author. In 1916, she became the first female magistrate in Canada and the fifth in the British Empire after Elizabeth Webb Nichol ...

- Canadian women's rights activist; first female judge in the British Empire * Mary Louise Northway - Canadian psychologist *

Marjorie Pickthall Marjorie Lowry Christie Pickthall (14 September 1883, in Gunnersbury, London – 22 April 1922, in Vancouver) was a Canadian writer who was born in England but lived in Canada from the time she was seven. She was once "thought to be the best Can ...

- Poet and writer *

Valerie Pringle Valerie Pringle (née Whittingham, born 5 September 1953) is a Canadian television host and journalist, hosting the Canadian edition of '' Antiques Roadshow'' on CBC since 2006. Pringle was born in Windsor, Ontario. Pringle began her career in ...

- Television host and journalist *

Ann Southam Ann Southam, (4 February 1937 – 25 November 2010) was a Canadian electronic and classical music composer and music teacher. She is known for her minimalist, iterative, and lyrical style, for her long-term collaborations with dance choreograp ...

- Composer *

Veronica Tennant Veronica Tennant, (born January 15, 1946) is a Canadian producer, director, and filmmaker and a former principal dancer of the National Ballet of Canada. She was born in London, England and moved to Canada with her parents and sister in 1955. ...

- Prima Ballerina (National Ballet Company of Canada) *

Linda Thorson Linda Thorson (born Linda Robinson; June 18, 1947) is a Canadian actress known for playing Tara King in '' The Avengers'' (1968–69). Early life Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Linda Robinson attended Bishop Strachan School, and then moved ...

- Actress, best known for her role in ''

The Avengers Avenger(s) or The Avenger(s) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of "The Infinity Sag ...

''. * Daryl Watts - Hockey player *

Margaret Wente Margaret Wente (born 15 February 1950) is a Canadian journalist and was a long-time columnist for ''The Globe and Mail'' until August 2019. She received the National Newspaper Award for column-writing in 2000 and 2001. In 2012, Wente was foun ...

- Columnist for ''The Globe & Mail'' * Beatrice Helen Worsley - first female computer scientist in Canada

References

External links

* {{Authority control Girls' schools in Canada Boarding schools in Ontario Elementary schools in Toronto High schools in Toronto Private schools in Toronto Preparatory schools in Ontario Anglican schools in Ontario Educational institutions established in 1867 Gothic Revival architecture in Toronto 1867 establishments in Ontario

History

Notable alumni

See also

References

External links