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. The term has been used in the context of various faiths, including Jainism, Baháʼí Faith, Zoro ...

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

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 Downtown Ottawa in the Capital Ward. As of 2016, the neighbourhood had a population of 13,055. The Glebe is bounded on the north by the Queensway, on the e ...

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 university, 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 se ...

.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 historically Reformed Christianity, Reformed Protestantism, Protestant tradition named for its form of ecclesiastical polity, church government by representative assemblies of Presbyterian polity#Elder, elders, known as ...

, 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 Qu ...

in 1869 by

Henry Franklin Bronson Henry Franklin Bronson (February 24, 1817 – December 7, 1889) was an American-Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canad ...

. The college was re-established in 1914 in a large building designed by

Edgar Lewis Horwood Edgar Lewis Horwood (1868–1957) was a Canadian architect who served as Chief Dominion Architect from 1915 to 1917. As chief government architect he was responsible for many of the federal buildings constructed in this period. Drawings for publ ...

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 expandi ...

. 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 (, ) 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 writing by Samuel de Champl ...

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, generally combining gender-crossing actors and topical humour with a story more or less based on a well-known fairy tale, fable or ...

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 Universities and colleges established in 1869 Former women's universities and colleges in Canada Universities and colleges in Ottawa Private universities and colleges in Ontario 1869 establishments in Ontario Defunct schools in Ottawa Women in Ottawa Carleton University 1942 disestablishments in Ontario Universities and colleges disestablished in the 20th century Defunct universities and colleges in Ontario