140 Years of Women’s Education at BSS.
By Erica Frail
During the 19th century, women of the Dominion were not expected to thrive in academic circles, nor were they encouraged to imagine “rooms of their own” for the purposes of higher learning. General public sentiment simply did not support the notion of advanced education for women, especially when it involved moving beyond the secure realm of hearth and home the only acceptable niche for the enrichment of a woman’s mind and the nourishment of her soul. It is, thus, not difficult to appreciate the extremely risky nature of designing and building an educational institution for women during this period. Yet, despite such a staunchly patriarchal social climate, an educational dream was born and struggled to survive in the late 1860s. On June 16, 1865, Reverend John Langtry ventured into the depths of the unknown to propose the development of a school for the daughters of the Anglican clergy.
Upon receiving the approval of the Anglican Church Synod, Reverend Langtry immediately proceeded to secure a suitable station for the new school. He rented the premises of Pinehurst, interestingly enough, a former private school in its own right. The building was located next to “The Grange,” which is now attached to the Art Gallery of Ontario. With an educational haven now in place, Reverend Langtry and the Church Synod decided to grant the fledgling school a namesake The Bishop Strachan School in honor of the first bishop of Toronto, John Strachan. In September of 1867, BSS was officially presented to the community under the direction of Head Mistress, Mrs. Horton. During the same year, BSS was formally incorporated at the first session of the first Parliament of Ontario, an important preliminary stage in its maturation.
The first year witnessed 33 boarders and 40 day pupils excitedly entering the doors of the newly christened school. The autumn issue of the 1868 Church Chronicle revealed that the school’s expectations were exceeded in terms of the overwhelming level of public interest. The Church Chronicle reported that, “this school was established with the object of affording the members of the Church and others the advantage of superior education for their daughters…The hopes of the promoters have been more than realized. It was unfortunately necessary to decline the reception of over 20 boarders for want of room.” BSS actually experienced more applications for admittance than initially anticipated. Unfortunately, the Pinehurst location would not accommodate higher enrolment in the late 1860s. As a result, for the first time in BSS history, the Council and administration were impelled to consider expansion. The same issue of The Church Chronicle reported a change in the residence of the school to the home of the recently deceased Bishop John Strachan, then situated on Front Street. The new location featured the “Bishop’s Palace” and another house connecting to “Captain Strachan’s Cottage,” the latter of which served as an extra residence for boarders. Surprisingly, the new space was still not expansive enough to comfortably house 48 boarders and 88 day students in 1868. The Council had to rent additional property on Wellington Street to accommodate classrooms and piano practice rooms.
Capacity issues continued to plague the school during the start of Miss Frances Dupont’s tenure as Lady Principal in 1869, especially with the sale of “Captain Strachan’s Cottage” in this year. The Anglican Church Synod genuinely marveled at the astonishing development of the school in such a short period of time. Bishop Bethune, the second bishop of Toronto, declared, “The Bishop Strachan School has been in operation nearly two years, and has met with a success which few of its projectors could have anticipated. The only impediment to its further progress is the want of a building capable of accommodating all who are willing to avail themselves of the advantages offered by the school…it would be a misfortune to the Church if an institution started so auspiciously, should be allowed to drop for inability to procure a house and premises equal to the accommodation of the pupils prepared to enter it.” This statement indicated that the Anglican Church appreciated the significance of the school’s place in contemporary society. More than simply an educational setting, BSS provided young women with important opportunities to develop desirable social skills and graces, and, perhaps most pressingly, strong religious beliefs and practices. The Council was, thus, not eager to send the school to a premature grave. With the seriousness of this situation in mind, the Council directed two of its most active members, Alexander Marling and James Henderson, to locate more suitable quarters.
By the end of 1869, the Council purchased Wykeham Lodge (later named Wykeham Hall), the estate of the late Sir James Macaulay, on College Street near Yonge Street. The new property was more spacious and scenic, surrounded by a picturesque natural woodland environment of trees, violets, and wild strawberries. This new setting definitely differed from the former headquarters on the bustling, increasingly industrial Front Street. Unfortunately, the strategic move to Wykeham Hall did not stimulate the intended goal of attracting and effortlessly lodging existing or potential students. Attendance waned due to the peripheral location of the school, and, in 1873, the Council and administration actually considered liquidation. For the sake of avoiding the devolution and downfall of BSS, James Henderson was forced to negotiate the sale of the eastern portion of the property bordering on College Street. Quite wondrously, attendance started to increase once again, and the school returned to a position of relative financial prosperity.
At the turn of the century, BSS was enjoying remarkable success as a reputable institution for the scholarly, domestic, and social pursuits of young women. Families could send their daughters to the school with a sense of confidence in the outcome educated, cultured, and pious young women who would positively and productively contribute to the Dominion. In 1902, the school was thriving enough to open a new branch. The Council decided to open a BSS subsidiary at 151 Dunn Avenue in Parkdale under the principalship of Miss Middleton. The new division experienced high enrolment and attendance rates, but, unfortunately, not enough interest and support from the Parkdale community, thus it was finally forced to close its doors. Nonetheless, BSS, itself, continued to blossom and burgeon throughout the early years of the twentieth century.
By 1911, the Council was already considering yet another move. The industrial and commercial tentacles of the city were starting to encroach upon the precious rustic setting of the school, a major attraction to students. James Henderson graciously donated five acres of land at the corner of Davenport Avenue and Christie Street to BSS in response to this crisis; however, the Council was more interested in securing a plot of land in the more recently developed College Heights area. This particular location offered the convenience of a growing community along with the radiance of a natural environment. This time, the Council wished to design an entirely new building that would rival its institutional contemporaries in style, structure, and size. Miss Harriet Walsh, then Head Mistress, actively researched the architecture of educational buildings in England to prepare for the new headquarters.
In 1911, the first Junior School opened in a house at 74 Lonsdale Road. Acting Lady Principal, Sarah Nation, oversaw the advancement of each planning stage. When larger premises were required in 1913, the property was sold and the Council rented another house at 423 Avenue Road to accommodate its 60 students. By 1913, plans were moving forward for the development of a new location at College Heights. A building committee worked to secure the necessary financial reserves, and architectural firm, Rolph and Sproate, was appointed to design the school in a “collegiate gothic” style. In the same year, Ms. Rose Grier turned the first sod to officially announce the uprooting and replanting of BSS on new territory.
Despite the financial hardships and constraints that accompanied the onslaught of World War I, which temporarily stunted the growth of the eastern wing of the school and the Chapel, BSS prepared to officially open its main buildings in September of 1915. The school had successfully weathered the winds of social, economic, cultural, and even geographical change through the turn of the century. Even in the midst of shifting ideological tides, fluctuating public interest, and wavering monetary resources, Reverend John Langtry’s dream survived intact. BSS continued to develop its educational space throughout the 20th century with many projects and a variety of expansions, including: the 1926 opening of the Chapel; the creation of the swimming pool and Russell Hill Road gymnasium in 1941; the 1966 north wing expansion; and the launch of the Rogers Wing in 1988. The 21st century beheld the opening of a new Junior School in 2004 and a Student Centre in 2007. One can only imagine the possible paths that BSS will journey in the next 140 years.
