Senator O'Connor College School
Encyclopedia
Senator O'Connor College School is a Roman Catholic high school located in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
. It is named after Senator Frank O'Connor
, founder of the Laura Secord
chocolate company and a generous Catholic philanthropist.
in 1963. The high school was built on land given to them by Senator Frank P. O'Connor, founder of Laura Secord, a Canadian chocolatier and ice cream company in the 1930s.
Senator O'Connor's House and Garage, and another building, belonging to the Christian Brothers still exist on Campus, and the Christian Brothers still lived there up until 2000.
In the 1970’s, the Christian Brothers were an active part of school life teaching classes, held positions in the school administration and assisted with cafeteria monitoring. Former students will fondly remember, “Brother Lunch” who enjoyed speaking to students and provided a welcoming smile especially to students in their first year at O’Connor.
The school used to be split up into three main structures: the main O'Connor building , the JJ Lynch building, and a later addition of a complex of portables under one roof called the "Taj" or affectionately named the "Taj Mahal". There was also another area with over a half dozen portables. There used to be an indoor swimming pool connected to the house, but it was torn down sometime in the late 80s or early 90s. The Christian Brothers' house was located in the center of the campus, and so students would pass right in front of it or around it on all sides daily.
The Christian Brothers' house has been marked as a historic site by the City of Toronto and is protected as such.
Originally the main high school was built to hold 700 students and by the 90s the student population almost doubled that figure. Additions to the school such as the "Taj" were made over the course of the school's history. By 1995 talks of building a new school on the property began. This project was protested by local residents until its approval sometime in the early 2000s. The old buildings were torn down and a large new modern 2 storey high school which opened in the fall of 2005 is now in place.
The former address of the school was 5 Avonwick Gate. The current address of the new Senator O'Connor College School is 60 Rowena Drive. The address change occurred because the entrance to the school was moved to the opposite end of the property that opens onto Rowena Drive. The new building, designed by Kearns Mancini Architects Inc., was partially built where the Lynch building previously stood as well as on the old athletic field.
Notable Alumni=
Cindy Nicholas
- swam across Lake Ontario
Maestro Fresh Wes Williams
Larry Murphy
Mark McCoy
Denzel Minnan-Wong - City Councillor
Jason Palma (DJ)
Everfresh (DJ)
Topher Stott - Drummer/Producer
External links=
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is named after Senator Frank O'Connor
Frank Patrick O'Connor
Frank Patrick O'Connor was a Canadian politician, businessman, philanthropist. He was the founder of Laura Secord Chocolates and Fanny Farmer, and the namesake behind O'Connor Drive in Toronto....
, founder of the Laura Secord
Laura Secord Chocolates
Laura Secord is a Canadian chocolatier and ice cream company which was founded in 1913 by Frank P. O'Connor. It was named after the Canadian War of 1812 heroine Laura Secord. As of 2010, it has 125 retail outlets across the country....
chocolate company and a generous Catholic philanthropist.
History
Senator O'Connor College School (O'Connor, or OCS) was founded by the Brothers of the Christian Schools and the Daughters of WisdomDaughters of Wisdom
Daughters of Wisdom is a Catholic contemplative organization founded by Saint Louis de Montfort and Blessed Marie Louise Trichet.While he was temporary chaplain of the hospital of Poitiers in 1707, he associated into a little community some pious but afflicted girls, and gave them a rule of life,...
in 1963. The high school was built on land given to them by Senator Frank P. O'Connor, founder of Laura Secord, a Canadian chocolatier and ice cream company in the 1930s.
Senator O'Connor's House and Garage, and another building, belonging to the Christian Brothers still exist on Campus, and the Christian Brothers still lived there up until 2000.
In the 1970’s, the Christian Brothers were an active part of school life teaching classes, held positions in the school administration and assisted with cafeteria monitoring. Former students will fondly remember, “Brother Lunch” who enjoyed speaking to students and provided a welcoming smile especially to students in their first year at O’Connor.
The school used to be split up into three main structures: the main O'Connor building , the JJ Lynch building, and a later addition of a complex of portables under one roof called the "Taj" or affectionately named the "Taj Mahal". There was also another area with over a half dozen portables. There used to be an indoor swimming pool connected to the house, but it was torn down sometime in the late 80s or early 90s. The Christian Brothers' house was located in the center of the campus, and so students would pass right in front of it or around it on all sides daily.
The Christian Brothers' house has been marked as a historic site by the City of Toronto and is protected as such.
Originally the main high school was built to hold 700 students and by the 90s the student population almost doubled that figure. Additions to the school such as the "Taj" were made over the course of the school's history. By 1995 talks of building a new school on the property began. This project was protested by local residents until its approval sometime in the early 2000s. The old buildings were torn down and a large new modern 2 storey high school which opened in the fall of 2005 is now in place.
The former address of the school was 5 Avonwick Gate. The current address of the new Senator O'Connor College School is 60 Rowena Drive. The address change occurred because the entrance to the school was moved to the opposite end of the property that opens onto Rowena Drive. The new building, designed by Kearns Mancini Architects Inc., was partially built where the Lynch building previously stood as well as on the old athletic field.
Notable Alumni=
Cindy Nicholas
Cindy Nicholas
Cynthia Maria Nicholas, CM is a former athlete and former politician in Ontario, Canada. She served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Liberal from 1987 to 1990.-Background:...
- swam across Lake Ontario
Maestro Fresh Wes Williams
Larry Murphy
Larry Murphy
Lawrence Thomas Murphy is a former Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He currently serves as an analyst and sideline reporter for the Detroit Red Wings on Fox Sports Detroit, and a studio analyst on NHL Network.-Playing career:...
Mark McCoy
Mark McCoy
Mark McCoy is a vocalist for several punk rock, black metal, powerviolence and experimental bands, some of which include Charles Bronson, Das Oath, Holy Molar, and most recently Failures. He also recorded a spoken-word comedy Split 7" with Mark Telfian of Limp Wrist...
Denzel Minnan-Wong - City Councillor
Jason Palma (DJ)
Everfresh (DJ)
Topher Stott - Drummer/Producer
External links=