Humberside Collegiate Institute

Humberside Collegiate Institute
Address
280 Quebec Avenue High Park North, Toronto , Ontario , M6P 2V3 Canada
Coordinates	43°39′36″N79°28′14″W / 43.659943°N 79.470677°W / 43.659943; -79.470677
Information
Former names	Toronto Junction High School (1892–1903) Toronto Junction Collegiate Institute (1903–1909)
School type	High school
Motto	Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas. (Happy is he who knows the causes of (reasons for) things.)
Founded	1892
School board	Toronto District School Board (Toronto Board of Education)
Superintendent	Sandy Spyropoulos LC4, Executive Superintendent Tracy Hayhurst LN20
Area trustee	Debbie King Ward 7
School number	5515 / 917630
Principal	Claudine Tyrell
Vice Principal	Robert Palmer, Isabel Arias Lopez
Grades	9–12
Enrolment	1256
Language	English, French, Spanish, Latin
Schedule type	Semestered
Colour(s)	Garnet, Grey, and White
Mascot	Husky
Team name	Humberside Huskies
Yearbook	Hermes
Website	schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/Humbersideci

Humberside Collegiate Institute (also known as Humberside CI, HCI, or Humberside), formerly known as Toronto Junction High School and Toronto Junction Collegiate Institute is a public high school located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It serves the Bloor West Village, Baby Point, High Park North and Junction neighbourhoods. Prior to 1998, it was within the Toronto Board of Education (TBE). ^[1]

Humberside was established in 1892 and has an academic program for students in grades 9 through 12. In addition to the regular curriculum, the school has a strong music program, as well as an Extended French and French Immersion program. It is a semestered school, meaning that the students take eight classes in two semesters. The school was previously operated under a full-year, non-semestered schedule. This changed following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The motto of the school is "Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas", a Latin phrase from Virgil's work Georgics, meaning "Happy is the person who has been able to learn the reasons for things". ^[2]

History

Humberside was established in 1892 as "Toronto Junction High School" in the basement of the local Presbyterian church. It moved to the current site in 1894 in the High Park area of Toronto, with the construction of a new Richardsonian Romanesque building. In 1903, the school was renamed "Toronto Junction Collegiate Institute", after a local street that runs west from Dundas Street West, past Keele Street to the school's main entrance. In 1909, the school was changed to "Humberside Collegiate Institute" and became part of the Toronto Board of Education when the Junction was annexed by the City of Toronto. ^[3] In 1910 an addition was added by Charles Hartnoll Bishop. ^[4] During World War I, many students lost their lives in battle. The front entrance is now a memorial to those who lost their lives, and for quite some time,^{[ when? ]} it was not allowed to be used, until recently.^{[ when? ]} Names were added to the memorial after World War II. The school's yearbook, Hermes, named for the Olympian god of the same name, was established in 1925. The student council was formed in 1931, and three decades later, the school held its first formal dance.^{[ citation needed ]}

In the late 1920s, Group of Seven artist Arthur Lismer was commissioned by the school to paint what is thought to be the largest Canadian mural. After being restored the mural hangs in the school auditorium, which was renamed in 1992 as Lismer Hall. ^{[5] [6]}

1966 saw major renovations to the school. A new north wing was opened, which houses the science laboratories. A new library was also constructed, as well as a new structure at the back which housed the (then) new auditorium, and music facilities. In 1972, Humberside became one of the first schools^{[ where? ]} to introduce computers as part of the curriculum.^{[ citation needed ]} Extended French and French Immersion programs were introduced in 1980 and 1983, respectively. Humberside celebrated its centennial in 1992. In 1998, the TBE was dissolved and Humberside became part of the new Toronto District School Board (TDSB).

The school was used in the filming of the TV movie Cyber Seduction: His Secret Life in 2005.^{[ citation needed ]}

In 2005, Mel Greif retired after thirty years of teaching history and geography. He won multiple awards for teaching, including the Jane Jacobs Prize and the Governor General's Award of Excellence. ^[7]

Notable alumni

• J. P. Anderson – former professional hockey player ^[8]
• Isabel Bassett – former chair of TVOntario, who also previously taught at Humberside ^[9]
• Samantha Bee – comedian, political commentator, cast member of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart , host of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee ^[10]
• Jacqueline Brooks – equestrian Olympian, who represented Canada in team dressage in 2008 and 2012
• George Chuvalo – boxer, Canadian amateur heavyweight champion, twice fought Muhammad Ali ^[11]
• Frederick J. Conboy – Mayor of Toronto, 1941 to 1944
• Royal Copeland, Canadian football player
• Donald Creighton – historian ^[12]
• Henry Czerny – actor ( The Boys of St. Vincent , Clear and Present Danger ) ^[13]
• Diego Fuentes – MuchMusic host, actor ( Hollywoodland , Remedy )
• Abby Hoffman – athlete, represented Canada in 800-metre running in four Olympic Games: 1964, 1968, 1972 and 1976, carried the flag for Canada in 1976 ^[14]
• Melissa Humana-Paredes – beach volleyball player representing Canada, gold medalist 2019 Beach Volleyball World Championships, silver medalist 2024 Summer Olympics
• Angus MacDonell -- junior hockey player, drafted 189th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft by the Dallas Stars
• Maris Martinsons – engineer, international athlete representing Canada and Latvia, management professor at City University of Hong Kong, business strategy consultant
• Ali Mukaddam – actor ( Degrassi: The Next Generation , Miss Sloane )
• Kirsty Murray – award-winning novelist
• Mark Simmons – boxer, represented Canada 2000 Summer Olympics, actor ( Cinderella Man )
• Raymond Souster – poet, 1964 Governor General's Award winner (The Colour of the Times)
• Alexander Sowinski – drummer for BadBadNotGood ^[15]
• Tibor Takács – director, producer ^[16]
• Jan Tennant – journalist (CBC, Global) ^[17]
• Peter Vronsky – author, historian and film director
• Charlotte Day Wilson – soul, Contemporary R&B singer ^[15]
• Aleksandar Zdravkovic – musician

See also

• Education in Ontario
• List of secondary schools in Ontario

References

1. "Secondary Schools." () Toronto Board of Education. November 12, 1997. Retrieved on July 23, 2013.
2. "Principal's Message" (PDF). November 2009 Newsletter. Toronto District School Board. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
3. Hardy, Edwin Austin (1950). Cochrane, Honora M. (ed.). Centennial Story: The Board of Education for the City of Toronto 1850–1950. Toronto, ON: Thomas Nelson & Sons (Canada) Limited.
4. "Bishop, Charles Hartnoll | Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada". dictionaryofarchitectsincanada.org.
5. "Jane Jacob Prize Winners – Mel Greif". Spacing. Spacing . Retrieved 29 November 2018.
6. "Lismer Hall Placque, 1992 – Institute for Stained Glass In Canada". www.glassincanada.org. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
7. "Mel Greif holding GG Award in front of Rideau Hall". www.e-mediakits.com. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
8. "Humberside Collegiate grad is now all-time OHL win leader among goaltenders". Inside Toronto. 17 December 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
9. Pooley, Erin (8 January 2006). "Isabel Bassett: "There are always rumours. I've lived with rumours all my life. As you know, most of them aren't true."". Canadian Business. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
10. Ouzounian, Richard (10 October 2009). "Samantha Bee: A Bee-autiful Life". Toronto Star. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
11. "Steve Uhraney's 20 Questions for George Chuvalo". Good Life. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
12. Creighton, Donald (1998). "Introduction by P.B. White". John A. Macdonald. University of Toronto Press. pp. ix. ISBN   9780802071644 . Retrieved 28 March 2015.
13. Wise, Wyndham. "Henry Czerny". Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
14. Plummer, Kevin (18 October 2014). "Historicist: "She certainly doesn't play like a girl" The star defenceman of a boys hockey team is revealed to be a nine-year-old girl". Torontoist. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
15. Ritchie, Kevin (April 11, 2017). "Charlotte Day Wilson just wants to belong".
16. "Toronto poet Raymond Souster dies at 91". CBC. 22 October 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
17. "Pioneers: Jan Tennant". Canadian Communications Foundation. Retrieved 28 March 2015.

External links

• Official website
• Humberside Collegiate Institute at the Toronto District School Board website
• Humberside Alumni Association Alumni website
• Humberside Collegiate Institute on TOBuilt