Parkdale Collegiate Institute
| Parkdale Collegiate | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
209 Jameson Avenue Toronto , , M6K 2Y3 Canada | |
| Coordinates | 43°38′22.73″N 79°26′10.38″W / 43.6396472°N 79.4362167°W |
| Information | |
| School type | High school IB World School |
| Motto | Let Knowledge Grow From More To More |
| Founded | 1888 |
| School board | Toronto District School Board |
| Superintendent | Debbie Donsky |
| Area trustee | Debbie King |
| Principal | Tania Camuti |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrolment | 535 (2019-20) |
| Language | English |
| Color(s) | Red, Gold, and Black |
| Mascot | Panther |
| Nickname | Parkdale Panthers |
| Website | schoolweb |
Founded in 1888, Parkdale Collegiate Institute is a public high school located on Jameson Avenue in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the neighbourhood of Parkdale, a former village on its own. A multicultural district, the location is in the heart of what is considered 'Little Tibet', which is the home of the largest concentration of Tibetans in the city.[1]
History
Parkdale High School opened in the Masonic Hall on Dowling Avenue in 1888. When the town of Parkdale was annexed to the City of Toronto a year later in 1889, Parkdale High School moved to its new residence on Jameson Avenue where it became the Jameson Avenue Collegiate Institute, and later the Jameson Collegiate Institute. In 1910, the school was renamed to its present name of Parkdale Collegiate Institute. The original building served until 1928 and then demolished while the school moved to the present Collegiate Gothic structure which was completed in 1929. The school has had two additions, the most recent in the 1960s. Parkdale Collegiate Institute is one of the oldest secondary schools in the City of Toronto.[2]
Parkdale Collegiate Institute is a certified International Baccalaureate World School which began in April 2007. [3] It currently offers the IB Preparation Programs for Grade 9 and 10 and the IB Diploma Programme for Grade 11 and 12. The current head of the department for the IB program at Parkdale Collegiate Institute is Miroslaw Bartnik.
One of the first teachers was Nellie Spence, one of the first female secondary school teachers in Toronto, who taught English and History at Parkdale from 1888 until she retired in 1929. The Nellie Spence Archive Room in the school containing memorabilia and local history is named after her.[4][5]
This year's Senior Girls' Volleyball team were the Toronto AA representatives at OFSAA. The Senior Boys Volleyball team were the Toronto AA representatives at OFSAA for the 2014–2015 season which was held in Northern Ontario.
In the 1976 Summer Olympic Games in Montreal, three Parkdalians participated as members of the Canadian Olympic team, Marvin Nash in the 100 metres, Bishop Dolegiewicz in discus and George Tintor in rowing.
Notable alumni
- Stella Asling-Riis, novelist and clubwoman[6]
- Bonnie Dobson, folk singer and songwriter
- Dallas Good, musician, The Sadies[7]
- Fred Gardiner - lawyer and politician; first chairman of Metropolitan Toronto
- Grace Irwin - novelist and teacher[8]
- William Krehm - political revolutionary in the 1930s, Time magazine correspondent for Latin America in the 1940s, and Toronto property developer from the 1950s until the 1990s
- Chemi Lhamo - Tibetan-Canadian human rights activist[9]
- Leon Major - Live theatre and opera director, artistic director and educator[10]
- Anne Mroczkowski - TV reporter and news anchor
- Norma Renault - stage, television and film actress[11]
- Goody Rosen - Major League Baseball All-Star outfielder
- Charles Templeton - cartoonist, evangelist, agnostic, politician, newspaper editor, inventor, broadcaster and author[12]
See also
References
- ^ "How a Toronto neighbourhood became known as Little Tibet". www.blogto.com. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
- ^ "PCI History". Parkdale Collegiate. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved August 28, 2009.
- ^ "Parkdale Collegiate Institute".
- ^ "Twelve decades of Parkdale Collegiate". Inside Toronto. Retrieved August 27, 2008.
- ^ "PCI Nellie Spence Archive Room". schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
- ^ "Personalities in Clubdom: Mrs. Andrew J. Riis". Brooklyn Eagle. 26 February 1933. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
- ^ Barclay, M. (2022). Hearts on Fire: Six Years that Changed Canadian Music 2000–2005. Ecw Press. p. 541. ISBN 978-1-77305-904-4. Retrieved 2024-12-27.
- ^ "Grace Irwin (Fonds 33)". E.J. Pratt Library. Victoria University. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
- ^ Strader, Matthew (2022-10-21). "URBAN HEROE: Advocating for the community started at a young age for Chemi Lhamo". Toronto.com. Retrieved 2025-01-18.
- ^ Tesher, Elie (10 June 1984). "Curtain Up: The Return of Leon Major"". Toronto Star. p. D5.
- ^ "Obituary". www.legacy.com. Globe and Mail, 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
- ^ Downey, Donn (8 June 2001). "Canada's man of many parts". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 28 February 2020. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
External links
- TDSB Parkdale CI page
- School web site
- Alumni web site
- "Parkdale Collegiate" (PDF). Toronto and District School Board. Retrieved October 15, 2008.
- "Parkdale Collegiate School Program" (PDF). Toronto and District School Board. Retrieved October 15, 2008.