Secondary Schools: A to F

AGINCOURT CONTINUATION / BLOOR COLLEGIATE / CENTRAL COMMERCE / CENTRAL TECHNICAL

Agincourt Continuation School (AGI-CS)

Location: 29 Lockie Avenue, Toronto (Agincourt), Ontario M1S 1N3

Opened: 1915

Alternate or former names: School Section No. 14, Agincourt School, Agincourt Public School, Agincourt Junior Public School

Pre-1998 municipality: City of Scarborough

Type of school: Continuation

History:
1913 Jan: S.S. No. 14 opened to serve the rapidly growing community of Agincourt. W.H. Paterson donated three acres of land.
1914: Four-room brick building erected. Cost: $12,000. Initially, only two rooms needed. Trustees decided to offer secondary education previously available only in Markham.
1915: Form I (Grade 9) began.
1916: Form II added, thus starting Agincourt Continuation School.
1920: Three years of secondary education now offered. Agincourt students still travelled to Markham for Junior Matriculation until a new high school was built on the east side of Midland Avenue in 1930. Since then, the original schoolhouse has continued to offer elementary education.

Pre 1925: One vacant room in the school housed a small book collection for the Agincourt Association Library until the construction of their own building in 1925.
1977: The Scarborough Historical Society put an historic plaque outside the main entrance.

Memorials transcribed:
AGI-CS-a (WWII): wooden plaque with attached slim metal panels: Students and staff of / Agincourt Continuation School / Who served in / the Allied Armed Forces / During World War II / 1939 – 1945. Also on metal backing: on the left side of this inscription is a Union Jack (in colour); on the right side of this inscription is a Canadian Maple Leaf flag (in colour). Six columns, consisting of six slim metal panels with names engraved in black. Given names followed by surnames. All names are in upper case letters. Key: Killed in the service of their country / “Lest we forget.” On each side of the “key,” a cross encircled by a wreath. After the Z names, four names appear to have been added at a later date.
NOTE: As this memorial includes a Canadian Maple Leaf flag, which was officially adopted in 1965, the memorial was likely made in 1965 or later.

Bloor Collegiate Institute (BCI-SS)

Location: 1141 Bloor Street West at Dufferin Street, Toronto, Ontario  M6H 1M9

Opened: 1920

Alternate or former names: Davenport High School, Bloor High School

Pre-1998 municipality: City of Toronto

Ward during WWII: Ward 6

Type of school: Secondary

History:
Pupils came from a small school named Davenport High School (founded 1920) located in five vacant rooms on the top floor of the Jesse Ketchum Public School to form the first student body for Bloor High School. Bloor High School was granted status of Collegiate Institute in October 1925. The original BCI building (started in 1926; opened in 1927) consisted of 15 standard classrooms, one lecture room, physics and science rooms. A separate building had been purchased in 1924 from the T. Eaton Company Limited and converted into a gymnasium. An addition, which now houses the home economics rooms, the library, the biology rooms and shops, was built in 1938. The auditorium, music room, and physics room were added in 1949. The new wing at the southwest corner of the school, consisting of seven standard classrooms, science room and two music rooms, as well as the renovations of classrooms and halls in the original buildings, was started in November 1963 and ready for school opening in September 1964.

Published history: BCI Banner Jubilee, 1974/75. [yearbook].

Web site: http://bloorci.vze.com/

Memorials transcribed:
BCI-SS-a: (WWII) Bronze “ 1939-1945 In Memoriam.” At the bottom: “Their name liveth for evermore.” First names followed by surname.

BCI-SS-b: (WWII) A-K (part) Framed, under glass “Roll of Honour, 1939-1945” with BCI insignia in the centre.

BCI-SS-c: (WWII) K (part)-W Framed, under glass “Roll of Honour, 1939-1945” with BCI insignia in the centre.

Central Commerce Collegiate (CCC-SS)

Location: 570 Shaw Street, Toronto, Ontario  M6G 3L6 (south of Bloor Street West; between Ossington Avenue on the west and Bathurst Street on the east)

Opened: 1911

Alternate or former names:
“Technical School”, High School of Commerce and Finance; High School of Commerce, Central High School of Commerce

Pre-1998 municipality: Toronto

Ward during WWI: Ward 5

Ward during WWII: Ward 5

Type of school: Secondary

History:
1892: Two commercial classes taught in the basement of Harbord Collegiate Institute by R.H. Eldon.
1902/1904: Commercial classes at Harbord, Jarvis and Parkdale Collegiates transferred to “Technical School” housed in the Toronto Athletic Club (Stewart Building)
1911 March 16: High School of Commerce used the upper portion of King Edward School.
1911 May 18: New school named High School of Commerce and Finance; to open Sept 1911: Principal R.H. Eldon.
1914: School moved to Clinton Street Public School Annex.
1916 Sept 5: (New) High School of Commerce formally opened.
1925: Renamed Central High School of Commerce
1931: Grade XII commercial course offered.
1986 May: Gala 75th reunion of more than 3,000 former teachers and students.
1991 Sept: Name changed to Central Commerce Collegiate.

Published history:
Hardy, E.A. and Honora M. Cochrane. Centennial Story: the Board of Education for the City of Toronto 1850 – 1950. Toronto: Thomas Nelson & Sons (Canada) Limited, 1950. Contains references to commercial and technical curriculum development.

Memorials transcribed:
CCC-SS-a: (WWI) Bronze plaque: “1914 – 1919. In memory of the students / of this school who sacrificed / their lives in the cause of / freedom in the Great War.” Two columns; given names followed by surnames.

CCC-SS-b: (WWII) Bronze plaque. Relief decorations include two crossed flags at the top; a torch on each side. “1939 – 1945. In memory of / former students of this school / who gave their lives in World War II. Erected by the staff and students.” Four columns; surnames followed by initials.

Central Technical School (CTS-SS)

Location: 725 Bathurst Street at Harbord Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2R5 (formerly at St. Lawrence Hall; moved to Old Wycliffe Hall [north side of College at the head of McCaul, present site of the Mining Building of the University of Toronto]; transferred to the Toronto Athletic Club Building [Stewart Building]; then moved to present location in 1912)

Opened: 1891

Alternate or former names: Toronto Technical School, Central High School of Commerce

Pre-1998 municipality: City of Toronto

Ward during WWI: Ward 4

Ward during WWII: Ward 5

Type of school: Secondary

History:
By 1888, the Association of Stationary Engineers requested a school for technical training in Toronto. In 1891, Council passed a motion “to establish The Toronto Technical School to be located in the St. Lawrence Hall and the anterooms connected therein.” Classes began January 26th, 1892, and were held from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. each public school day. Provision was made for 150 students studying mathematics, chemistry, descriptive geometry, mechanics, physics, and drafting. When 307 students registered, it was clear St. Lawrence Hall was inadequate. The school moved to Old Wycliffe Hall. By 1896, enrollment was 1,511. Courses in Domestic Science were introduced in that year and the school became coeducational. By 1900, overcrowding forced a move to the Stewart Building on the south side of College St. (until recently the Ontario College of Art). The first art department was formed by putting a partition across the pool. Sculpture was taught in the deep end of the tank; all other art classes in the remaining area. Day classes began in 1901 with 151 students; night school attendance was 1,710 students. Dr. William Pakenham was principal from 1901 until June 1907. On 19 November 1912, plans, specifications and an agreement to permit the closing of Herrick Street between Lippincott and Borden Streets were approved for the present building. In 1913, the cornerstone of the new building was laid by Prime Minister Robert Borden. Formal opening was Aug. 31, 1915. By 1932, because of an increasing number of aircraft students, the city bought a garage, “the Annex”, at 844 Bathurst Street. During the Second World War, the school operated 24 hours a day. Day students attended from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Emergency classes involving marching drills, wireless operating, aircraft mechanics, tank repair and related subjects were supervised by Royal Canadian Air Force, the Army and the Navy from 4:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Published history: Central Technical School 1915-1990: Reaching for the diamond. Toronto: Central Technical School, 1990.

Web sites: http://centraltech.ca/

Memorials transcribed:
CTS-SS-a: (WWI) Framed printed list under glass: Honour Roll of names of teachers, day students and others connected with the Central Technical School who have enlisted for Overseas Service. At the bottom of the list: Friends are requested to report corrections which should be made in this list; November 23rd 1918.

CTS-SS-b: (WWII) A.J. Casson “For King and Country Members of Central Technical School who have volunteered for active service with Canada’s fighting forces.” Eight columns of names. List does not specify which war, but the use of an A.J. Casson document, usually indicates World War II. At the top of the first column, is the heading “Member of the Staff.” Followed by names A-F.

CTS-SS-c: (WWII) A.J. Casson “For King and Country Members of Central Technical School who have volunteered for active service with Canada’s fighting forces.” Eight columns of names. List does not specify which war, but the use of an A.J. Casson document, usually indicates World War II. Names G-M.

CTS-SS-d: A.J. Casson “For King and Country Members of Central Technical School who have volunteered for active service with Canada’s fighting forces.” Eight columns of names. List does not specify which war, but the use of an A.J. Casson document, usually indicates World War II. Names N-Z.

CTS-SS-e: A.J. Casson “For King and Country Members of Central Technical School who have volunteered for active service with Canada’s fighting forces.” Eight columns of names. List does not specify which war, but the use of an A.J. Casson document, usually indicates World War II. Names A-Y (possibly compiled later than the above lists).

CTS-SS-f: Painted plaster sculpture: two life-sized “classical” figures, male holding sword, draped seated female. The sculpture is flanked by two flags: a Canadian “maple leaf” and the Red Ensign. Enclosed in a semi-circular low, protective screen. At the base of the sculpture is a label: WAR MEMORIAL/by/Alfred Howell A.R.C.A/First Art Director/CENTRAL TECHNICAL SCHOOL/1914-1928. The woman’s face resembles the face of a woman on the Vimy Memorial and may have been sculpted by Walter Allward, a Central Technical student, who also taught in the adult program.