[6] AYJ had an in-house closed-circuit television station known as JTV that produced a daily news and information program, replacing the traditional audio announcements via the public address system.

It began being offered as a technology credit course in 2004 and the station earned several students the 2005 OCRI High School IT Entrepreneur of The Year Award.

In 2010, their production of "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" won in the Critic's Favourite Musical category at the annual Cappies Gala and, in 2011, they won the Critic's Favourite Play category with the Canada's Capital Cappies for their production of Neil Simon's "Plaza Suite".

For the first time in the school's history, the band was awarded the Gold Standard for their performance.

According to a news report at the time, Hubley was the “only openly gay student at the school,” and was bullied as a result.

His father stated that posters promoting the "anti-discrimination Rainbow Club"[12] at school were torn down by students.

[13] Calls for stronger programs led to the establishment of an anti-bullying initiative, announced at A. Y. Jackson, and launched by the Canadian Red Cross in the wake of his suicide.