Lessons Learned: The Evolution of Education in Ontario - A Centre for Learning: The Education Department Building, 1851-1962 - Page Banner

The School Act of 1846 provided for the appropriation of an initial grant of 1500 pounds for furnishing a suitable building to be used for a normal school plus an annual subsidy of 1500 pounds for teachers' salaries and maintenance of the school. The first education department offices along with the Provincial Normal School opened in Toronto on November 1, 1847, in the old Government House of Upper Canada. The complementing Provincial Model School was opened on February 21, 1848, and was housed in the renovated stables of Government House.

After the burning of the Parliament Buildings in Montreal in 1849, the seat of government reverted to Toronto and the Normal School had to vacate Government House. Ryerson temporarily moved the school into Temperance Hall on Temperance Street.

In August, 1850, the school was awarded a fifteen thousand pound grant to purchase grounds and erect buildings for both the Normal and Model Schools and which was to become the centre for the Department of Education. On July 2, 1851, the cornerstone was laid by Lord Elgin, and the new building was opened in May of 1852. It would become the home of the Department of Education and would remain the administrative and intellectual centre of education in Ontario for over 100 years.
Photocopy of architectural measured drawings showing the floor plans of the Toronto Normal and Model Schools, 1857 (First Floor)
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 Photocopy of architectural measured drawings showing the floor plans of the Toronto Normal and Model Schools, 1857 - (Museum Upper Floor)

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Photocopy of architectural measured drawings showing the floor plans of the Toronto Normal and Model Schools, 1857. Originally published in the Annual Report of the Normal, Model, Grammar and Common Schools in Upper Canada for the year 1856. Appendix No. 58 to the Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, 20 Victoria, 3rd Session, 5th Provincial Parliament of Canada, 1857.
Reference Code: Microfilm B 41, Reel 32 and Reel 33
Archives of Ontario Library Collections

Photocopy is found in the Eric Arthur fonds
Reference Code: C 57-7, D-1664 and D-1665, container K-339
Archives of Ontario
Photo: Education Department building and the Normal and Model Schools for Upper Canada, Toronto, [ca. 1890]

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Education Department building and the Normal and
Model Schools for Upper Canada, Toronto, [ca. 1890]
Andrew Merrilees collection
Black and white print
Reference Code: F 1125-1-0-0-178
Archives of Ontario, I0001933

In addition to the department's offices, the Education Department building also housed the Provincial Educational Depository, a library, the Educational Museum of art and science, and classrooms for the Provincial Normal and Model Schools.

The Provincial Educational Depository was responsible for the purchase, storage and distribution of authorized textbooks, maps, apparatus and other supplies to the individual schools. The Educational Museum held the art objects collected by Ryerson in Europe and later collections of school apparatus, agricultural implements, specimens of natural history and archaeological artefacts. Follow the links to the right to learn more.

Provincial Educational Depository
Go to: Provincial Educational Depository

Provincial Educational Museum

Go to: Provincial Educational Museum

Though most of the original Toronto Normal School building was demolished in the 1960s, the original entrance still stands in the heart of St. James Square. The old façade has been incorporated into a new entrance for Ryerson University's underground Recreation and Athletics Centre.

A plaque dedicated to the original building was mounted to the façade. The text can be seen below.
Photo: The original entrance to the Toronto Normal School Building

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The original entrance to the Toronto
Normal School building
Photographed by the Archives of Ontario, 2005

Photo: Plaque on the entrance façade of the Toronto Normal School, 2005

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Plaque on the entrance façade of
the Toronto Normal School
Photographed by the Archives of Ontario, 2005

The Toronto Normal and Model School
1851-1962

This central façade has been left standing to commemorate the long and close association of St. James Square with education in the Province of Ontario.

Here Egerton Ryerson superintended the work of the first Department of Public Instruction in Upper Canada.

Here generations of teachers prepared themselves for careers in education.

Here thousands of armed forces personnel were re-trained for civilian life after World War II.

Here was founded in 1948 the Ryerson Institute of Technology which pioneered a whole new level of education in this province.

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