Upper Canada College was founded in 1829 by Sir John Colborne, lieutenant governor of Upper Canada, as a school in York (Toronto) modelled on English public schools. It opened in January 1830, left its downtown site for Deer Park in 1891, and became fully independent of provincial funding in 1900. Sources disagree on how many boys enrolled on the first day.
Colborne’s school, 1829 to 1830
The Dictionary of Canadian Biography says that Colborne decided in 1829 to establish a school in York to be called Upper Canada College. He asked contacts in England and Guernsey to find a principal, and they chose Joseph Hemington Harris. The Canadian Encyclopedia describes the college as a non-denominational feeder school for King’s College, the future University of Toronto, modelled on British boys’ schools, especially Eton. The Dictionary, by contrast, says only that the model was English public schools.
The province gave the college an endowment of 66,000 acres, according to the Dictionary, which calls the grant lavish. That grant fed much of the later criticism.
Opening day: 57 boys or 89?
The sources give two versions. The Dictionary of Canadian Biography says the college opened on January 8, 1830 with 89 boys. The Canadian Encyclopedia mentions 57 students in the first year, and the Wikipedia history of the college (a secondary source citing Richard Howard’s 1979 history) gives January 4, 1830, with 57 students. The Wikipedia history reconciles the two figures: teaching began with 57 students and enrolment reached 89 by the end of the first semester. The Dictionary does not say this, so the 89 may be a later count dated to opening day.
The Wikipedia history places the first permanent buildings on Russell Square, on land bounded by King, Simcoe, Adelaide, and John streets, with new buildings at the northwest corner of King and Simcoe streets, now 212 King Street West, in use from the 1831 school year. The Ontario Heritage Trust plaque confirms the move into permanent premises on King Street West in 1831 but does not give the street corner, so the exact block rests on the Wikipedia history alone.
Opposition from the colonial elite
The college was not welcomed by everyone in power. The Dictionary reports that Tories including John Strachan and John Beverley Robinson opposed it, fearing it would rival King’s College. In Strachan’s own Dictionary entry, he could not openly oppose the school but believed that delaying the university would harm both church and state. Later critics attacked the college for serving the upper classes, for a narrow classical curriculum, and for its endowment.
Harris defended the school in a pamphlet in 1836, but the Dictionary says that did not end the criticism. As principal and classics master from 1830 until 1838, he added a seventh form that served as an introductory university year, because King’s College had not yet opened. About 133 students were enrolled in 1838. According to the Dictionary entry on John McCaul, the college asked the archbishop of Canterbury to find a candidate, and McCaul arrived in Toronto on January 25, 1839 and was installed four days later.
The Wikipedia history adds that a March 4, 1837 amendment to the King’s College charter brought the school under university control. The political climate of that year is described in the article on the 1837 Rebellion in Toronto.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1829 | Founded by Sir John Colborne; Harris chosen as principal |
| January 1830 | Opens, on January 4 or January 8 depending on the source |
| 1838 | Harris leaves; about 133 students |
| 1891 | Moves to a 17-hectare site in Deer Park |
| 1900 | Provincial funding ends; the college becomes independent |
| 1913 | 180 hectares bought near Norval; the move is abandoned |
| 1958 | Main building found to be in disrepair; rebuilding campaign begins |
| 1995 | International Baccalaureate Diploma adopted |
The table draws on the Dictionary of Canadian Biography and the Canadian Encyclopedia.
Deer Park and independence
The Canadian Encyclopedia says the college moved in 1891 from its original downtown Russell Square campus to a 17-hectare site in Deer Park, then a rural area. In 1900, the Ontario government stopped funding the college, making it fully independent, and the article calls it the oldest school of its kind in Ontario. The Ontario Heritage Trust plaque words this differently: it says the extensive endowment of Crown lands was given up during the 1880s in exchange for the Deer Park site, to which the school moved in 1891. The two sources do not contradict each other on the move, but they date the end of the land endowment and of provincial funding differently, and neither is quoted here with a more precise year. In 1913, the college bought 180 hectares near Norval, about 50 kilometres northwest of Toronto, planning to relocate there. The plan was abandoned, and the land became the Norval Outdoor School. The growth of the districts of the city is described in the neighbourhood history hub.
The postwar rebuilding
The Canadian Encyclopedia reports that in 1958 the main building was found to be in disrepair and was slated for demolition, and that a major fundraising campaign allowed its rebuilding. The Wikipedia history adds that the 1891 building was condemned and evacuated by March 12, 1958 and that the new building was opened on September 28, 1960. The Canadian Encyclopedia lists later milestones, including the adoption of the International Baccalaureate Diploma in 1995 and the opening of a sports complex in 2009. Enrolment, fees, and admissions rules change often, so readers should consult the college’s own website.
Frequently asked questions
When was Upper Canada College founded?
In 1829, by Sir John Colborne. Teaching began in January 1830, according to the Ontario Heritage Trust plaque and the Dictionary of Canadian Biography.
Where was the original school?
In downtown York (Toronto), on the Russell Square site, according to the Canadian Encyclopedia. The Wikipedia history specifies the block bounded by King, Simcoe, Adelaide, and John streets.
Was it publicly funded?
Yes, at first. The province granted a 66,000-acre endowment, and government funding ended in 1900, per the Dictionary and the Canadian Encyclopedia.
How is it connected to the University of Toronto?
It was created as a feeder for King’s College, which became the University of Toronto. See the university’s history.
Last verified: October 2026
Sources
- Joseph Hemington Harris entry, Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. XI (opening on January 8, 1830 with 89 boys; 66,000-acre endowment; 133 students in 1838; the seventh form).
- John Strachan entry, Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. IX (Strachan’s view of the college and the delay of the university).
- John McCaul entry, Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. XI (arrival on January 25, 1839 and installation four days later).
- “Upper Canada College,” The Canadian Encyclopedia (founding, 57 students in the first year, 1891, 1900, 1913, 1958, 1995, 2009).
- “Upper Canada College” plaque, Ontario Heritage Trust, text transcribed on Ontario Plaques (1829 legislative support, 1830 classes, King Street West premises in 1831, Deer Park in 1891).
- “History of Upper Canada College,” Wikipedia, a secondary source citing Richard Howard, Upper Canada College, 1829 to 1979: Colborne’s Legacy (1979), used for the January 4 start date, the Russell Square block, the 1837 charter amendment, and the 1958 and 1960 building dates. The college’s own timeline returned an access error and could not be read.
Related reading
- Biography of John Strachan
- University of Toronto: history of the university
- Biography of John Beverley Robinson
- The 1837 Rebellion in Toronto
- Toronto culture, sports and education (hub)
Cite this page
APA: History of Toronto. (2026, October 25). Upper Canada College: History from 1829 to Independence. https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/upper-canada-college-history
MLA: “Upper Canada College: History from 1829 to Independence.” History of Toronto, 25 Oct. 2026, https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/upper-canada-college-history. Accessed .
Chicago: History of Toronto. “Upper Canada College: History from 1829 to Independence.” Last modified October 25, 2026. https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/upper-canada-college-history.
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