BSS cherishes its rich history with roots dating back to pre-Confederation days. Its growth mirrors the growth of Toronto itself and reflects the progress of women in society – in fact, BSS played a significant role in that journey.
Early History
A Permanent Home
The Post-War Years
The Swinging ’60s
A 21st Century School
Early History
“The middle of the last century saw the dawn of Women’s Education. It is not now our task to recall the darkness before the dawn nor to tell the story of the wide movement for the higher education of women, but to trace the history of this school which in its dates coincides very fairly with the general movement in the Motherland.” The Bishop Strachan School Jubilee Record – 1867-1927
In 1865, the Synod of Toronto appointed a committee to consider the higher education of girls. It was led by Rev. John Langtry who undertook the task of rallying interest and financial support for the endeavour. The new school was to be named for John Strachan, the first Bishop of Toronto, a leader in the Anglican Church and a strong advocate for education.
BSS opened its doors in 1867 in Pinehurst, near the Art Gallery of Toronto, (now the Art Gallery of Ontario). It was incorporated by the Ontario Parliament in 1868 and was run by a small group of dedicated clerics and members of the community.
“The amount of sacrifice involved in the unsparing service rendered by these is known to few. It meant long evenings of work after professional duties were over, the bearing of heavy monetary responsibility and patient, steady support of the School, and faith in its future, through many vicissitudes, and it meant much actual outlay of money.” The Bishop Strachan School Jubilee Record – 1867-1927
In 1868, the School moved to larger quarters at Captain Strachan’s cottage, part of the Bishop’s residence on Front Street and Mrs. Horton arrived for a brief stint as “Lady Principal” in 1868.
In 1869, Wykeham Hall on College Street was purchased and BSS remained in this bucolic home for the next 45 years. Miss Frances Dupont arrived as Lady Principal. Just 30 years old, she instilled a regime of order, discipline and education. In 1872, Miss Anne Thomson arrived as Lady Principal.
“Remember girls, you are not going home to be selfish butterflies of fashion. The Bishop Strachan School has been endeavouring to fit you to become useful and courageous women. I believe you will yet see our universities open to women. Work out your freedom, girls! Knowledge is now no more a fountain seal’d; drink deep!” Mrs. A. Thomson, Lady Principal, 1872-1875.
Rose Grier joined BSS as Lady Principal in 1876 and enjoyed an illustrious 23-year term in that role. She was the daughter of a Reverend and a talented organist in her father’s parish. “The call for higher education of women which had worked such a change in England was being loudly heard and echoed in Canada, and Miss Grier’s gift of sanctified common sense, her powers of teaching and governing, and her broad outlook over the whole field of women’s activities, rightful aims and highest life, were urgently needed.” Jubilee Record, 1927
On Miss Grier’s retirement, Helen Acres became the new Headmistress in 1899. Miss Acres had been a long-time staff member and well-loved teacher, known for her progressive thinking and methods. She brought in teachers from England and introduced new ideas such as physical education, the BSS Magazine, Sports Day and the Old Girls Association.
In 1911 Miss Harriet Walsh became Headmistress. A graduate of Trinity College, Dublin with a teaching certificate from Cambridge, she was eminently qualified for this role and was another in a line of forward-thinking School Heads.
A Permanent Home
Financial strains plagued the growing School and with downtown now encircling the College Street location, it was put up for sale. A new site was offered near Wychwood Park by concerned philanthropist and BSS Council Member, James Henderson, however the decision was made to settle at “College Heights” as the Lonsdale site was then called. Mr. Henderson instead gave $32,500 in cash toward the new building. The Gothic-style building was opened in 1915 without the Chapel or Junior School which were postponed because of World War I.
As the war ended, enrollment at BSS had reached 366 students including 108 boarders. The post-war era saw a boon to the offerings available to the girls with the introduction of new clubs, extracurricular courses, the introduction of art and music as well as a course in Citizenship to help the newly enfranchised women take their place in the world.
Finally, in 1926 enough funds had been raised to open the jewel of the campus – the BSS Chapel. Built in the ‘perpendicular gothic’ style and designed by renowned architects, Sproatt and Rolph, the entire BSS community contributed to its new spiritual home. The Old Girls gifted the Sanctuary in honour of Miss Grier and also dedicated the stunning east window. Funds were raised in memory of John Langtry for the Langtry doorway.
By 1930, the beloved Miss Walsh retired and Margaret LOWE 1906, became Headmistress. As an Old Girl herself and a top graduate from the University of Toronto, she came to BSS from her role as Dean of Women at Dalhousie University. Her first order of business was to relieve crowding issues by carrying on with the postponed Junior School wing. Grace Church on the Hill had provided a temporary home for over one hundred BSS JS students who gladly moved into their new quarters in 1932.
The Depression ushered in a period of financial hardship and the war that ensued witnessed horrors that touched the lives of everyone. In 1939, BSS learned that three of its teachers were aboard a civilian ship that was torpedoed. One, Miss Dorothy Hutchings was killed in the attack. The girls at BSS rallied for the war effort by volunteering in the Red Cross and selling war stamps. Many Old Girls joined the Women’s Divisions of the three Services or became members of the Auxiliary Services. That same year, eighty British girls in town for a sporting event became stranded and many were taken in by BSS. When they returned home after the war they began a British branch of the Old Girls Association.
To read about BSS’s move to its current location at 298 Lonsdale Road, click here.
The Post-War Years
Miss Millichamp took over as Headmistress from the ailing Miss Lowe in 1948. She held a BA in Economics and Languages from Oxford and an MA in Modern History from Cambridge. She had experience teaching in several acclaimed schools in England and Scotland. She launched a $200,000 fundraising campaign in 1949 to retire the School’s debt and raise money for teacher’s pensions.
In 1952, Grace Macnaughton became acting Headmistress. She held an MA in English from the University of Edinburgh and a teaching certificate from Cambridge. She had been on staff teaching at BSS since 1924.
“Critical and effective thinking involves a thoroughly disciplined mind as well as a courageous one…It is our business to take the student through the processes without which critical thinking is impossible.” Grace Macnaughton, 1957
In 1955, the BSS Foundation was incorporated as a vehicle for building an endowment to meet the needs for scholarships and capital funds. In 1958, the BSS Association (Old Girls), celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Joan Griffith was appointed Headmistress in 1958. A third-generation BSS graduate, Miss Griffith had been a staff member for ten years during which she was the Head of the Science Department and a Vice Principal.
“We would like to think that on leaving this school, a girl is prepared in body, mind and spirit for whatever challenges she may meet in this rapidly changing world. In other words, she should be mentally able to think, physically fit to do, and spiritually equipped to live a useful, satisfying life.” Joan Griffith, 1962
The Swinging ’60s
These were prosperous times – the School was on sound financial footing with 525 students; the era of science and technology was being ushered in by space exploration and the activities offered to the girls at BSS continue to proliferate.
In 1962 Betty Nicks was appointed Headmistress. With an MA in Education from the University of Manitoba she was headed to becoming the first woman principal of a public high school in Winnipeg but was convinced to join BSS instead. She introduced the first, full-time chaplain to BSS, Canon E.R. Bagley.
Miss Nicks also launched a building program that would renovate the classrooms to make them larger and add a new double gymnasium. The North Wing was opened in 1966, in time for the School’s centennial celebrations.
In 1967, the year of Canada’s and Bishop Strachan’s centennial, the BSS choir was chosen to sing at Expo 67 in Montreal.
In 1969, BSS welcomed its first Headmaster, Mr. Edward Jarvis. Having taught at Trinity College School, UCC and Forest Hill Collegiate, Mr. Jarvis brought a range of experience to the job. During his tenure, attitudes in society had relaxed considerably and women were emerging as a formidable force. At BSS, rules also relaxed and for many years the uniform rules were largely discarded and the chapel veil was dispensed with (much to the consternation of the Old Girls Association!). Structured residence life was also loosened and girls were in more control over their own activities.
“Motivation to learn, the development of self-discipline and a philosophy of life that makes you aware of problems and people is what education is all about.” Edward Jarvis, 1970.
In 1970, the Junior School began to disappear! Declines in enrolment caused classes from Kindergarten to Grade four to be canceled. The Board realized that a strong Junior School was the critical foundation to the School’s strength and took steps to revitalize it. Zena Firth was appointed Principal of the Junior School and boys were brought in to the junior grades for the first time since Miss Lowe’s tenure as Head.
Katherine Wicks followed in 1976 as Headmistress. A graduate of University of Toronto with a Masters in English, Miss Wicks had held several teaching posts at both secondary and university levels. She had previously been an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Education of the University of Windsor and was working on her Ph.D. when she joined BSS.
“Curriculum, carefully planned and regularly reviewed, is one half of a sound educational milieu; the other half, necessary to complement and animate that curriculum, is a strong teaching staff.” Katherine Wicks, 1980
In 1981, Ann E. Tottenham became Headmistress. She earned her BA at U of T where she won the Governor General’s Medal. She then completed her Bachelor of Sacred Theology at Trinity College and earned a Master of Sacred Theology at Union Theological Seminary in New York as well as a Bachelor of Education at U of T. She was ordained to the priesthood in 1983 and became the first ordained Headmistress in Canada.
“The principal justification for a girls’ school in the 1980’s and beyond is that it offers a unique opportunity for the education of young women to become strong and capable leaders in our society. Schools like BSS must rise above the stereotypical images of women that are still so prevalent all around us. Our graduates must be whole people who are able to lead fulfilling lives in a modern world.” Ann E. Tottenham, 1984
During her tenure, the curriculum was expanded, Advanced Placement courses were introduced, and the use of technology increased. All of which required more space. In 1983 the science facilities were updated and four labs were outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment.
A new wing was planned and what was then, a major fundraising campaign for $4.5 million was launched. The resulting Rogers Wing opened in 1989.
A 21st Century School
Natalie Little joined BSS as Head in 1995 and during her energetic tenure, she led the way on two strategic plans that harnessed the skills of the faculty, staff and administration to push the School forward on myriad fronts and particularly, in the area of technology. The now-famed laptop program was introduced, along with advances in all areas of the curriculum. She also led an extremely successful capital campaign that raised over $14.5 million for the construction of the 90,000 sq. ft. Warren Road Wing which now houses a gleaming new Junior School and extensive fitness facilities. Natalie Little retired in 2004 at which time Kim Gordon took over the leadership.
During Ms. Gordon’s tenure as Head of School, many developments were made to both the physical plant and the BSS program, and a new strategic plan was launched with the three guiding planks of People, Program and Sustainability. With the support of the BSS community, a beautiful new student centre was constructed and opened in the spring of 2007. In 2008, the Library was renovated into a state of the art Learning Commons, and Centennial Hall, celebrating 100 years of the BSS Old Girls’ Association, was installed. In addition, many improvements were made to the Boarding facilities. Under her leadership, the Reggio approach to learning was solidified in the Junior School and a distinct Middle School program, designed specifically to meet the needs of students transitioning from Junior to Senior School was developed.
Upon Kim Gordon’s retirement in 2009, Deryn Lavell, previously BSS’s Junior School Principal and Assistant Head of International Programs and Institutional Advancement, took over as Head of School.