Yesterday

Although elements of LCC’s history can be traced back to St. John’s School—a small Anglican Boys’ school established in Montreal in 1861—Lower Canada College’s founder, Dr. Charles Fosbery, opened the School’s doors on Royal Avenue on September 20, 1909.  It was an historic day in independent education in Quebec and in the Montreal community known as Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.
 
LCC has evolved from a small all boys boarding/day school with 120 students to a coeducational private, elementary and secondary day school with 760 students from diverse backgrounds, and it is recognized as a leading and progressive educational institution.
 
Over the years, it has graduated future Rhodes Scholars, presidents of major universities, world-renowned scientists, federal and provincial politicians and numerous leaders and pioneers in medicine, the military, business and the arts.

The continued evolution of LCC is contingent on the fact that its graduates never really leave—over 3000 alumni currently remain in contact with the School.

Today

During its 101 years of existence, the School has undergone a number of strategic changes to preserve its vitality and keep pace with changing times. It has evolved from its original British public school model and has become progressively “Canadianized.” 

During the 1970s, the School modernized its program in a number of ways, while sustaining the long-standing tradition of academic excellence and successful interscholastic athletic competition.

In the 1980s, the School’s music and drama programs underwent a significant renaissance, with regular performances by students at all levels. 

In the 1990s, a bilingual elementary program was introduced and girls were accepted into the Pre-University Year (Grade 12). Community service became a graduation requirement that reflects the School’s motto "Non Nobis Solum – Not for Ourselves Alone."
 
In September 1995, the School became fully coeducational from kindergarten to grade 12.  In January 2000, the Webster Learning Activity Centre was officially opened. This facility includes the Middle and Senior School Schiff Library, the Chadha Technology Centre, the 160-seat Chamandy Auditorium, seminar rooms and classrooms, the Velan double gymnasium, the Weider Fitness Centre and a multi-purpose room, as well as the LCC Store.
 
The 2002-2003 School year saw the reintroduction of the House System throughout the School and the creation of three new Houses—Harper, Heward and Webster.  The following year, the Junior School opened the Assaly Music Centre and l’Éxploratorium de Gaspé Beaubien—a music facility and science lab designed specifically for Junior School students.

In March 2008, the last puck was dropped on LCC’s historic rink as we prepared to open the Glenn J. Chamandy Arena two months later. This state-of-the-art, eco-friendly indoor arena houses an indoor rink that operates year-round, three-season team rooms, lounges (Heritage & Poplar Commons) from which the arena, playing fields and Velan Gym can be viewed, as well as an athletics therapy centre.

Today, the School’s facilities comprise a seven-acre campus, including a main building with the Junior School, Middle School and Senior School classrooms; the Webster Learning Activity Centre; the Barclay Centre (a separate Kindergarten facility adjacent to the main building); art and language facilities; a 35,000 volume library; a separate Junior School library (Crabtree Memorial); a dining room/theatre with a small stage; and a Junior School playground.  The Walter W. McBroom Music Centre, situated across from the School, houses our Middle and Senior School Music facilities. The indoor arena, two playing fields and a practice field, the Weider Fitness Centre and four gymnasia make up the School’s athletic facilities. The science and music centres are highlights of the Junior School facilities.

Tomorrow

The School’s programs and facilities, already among the finest and most comprehensive in the city, continue to be evaluated against the evolving needs of our students and faculty. Guided by our Strategic Plan, Our Sustainable Future: 2009-2013, our primary goal is to strive to keep LCC at the forefront of Canada’s educational scene and to ensure that the School remains positioned as Montreal’s premier independent, coeducational day School.

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