[1] Prior to 1998, it was part of the North York Board of Education The school is named for the nearby neighbourhood of Emery.

In 2000, Toronto Police arrested 4 people in relation to a shooting that happened in the school parking-lot, which injured 3.

One of the 4 arrested was charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm, attempted murder, and discharging a firearm.

[6] In 2014, students representing the school came in first place at the Art of Physics Competition organized by the Canadian Association of Physicists.

Emery Collegiate Institute has competitive teams for Basketball, Soccer, Wrestling, Water Polo, Running, and Robotics.