Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School started out as two campuses known as the "Tin Can"[citation needed], one which later became Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts and a demolished relocatable.

The modern building for 861 students was built and completed by September 1991 as the school was opened and blessed in January 1992, designed specifically for its self-directed learning program (formerly called Direction 2000[5] established in the late 1980s).

"[7] The current Mary Ward campus shares 26 acres of land with the L'Amoreaux Community Centre that is also attached to the school.

[citation needed] With Mary Ward built for the self-directed learning program, the existing configuration shares several classrooms with the community centre, plus a gymnasium, a cafetorium, an atrium, a student services area, several technological labs, a chapel, and a day care room.

[9] In 2015, Karen K. Ho stated in Toronto Life that the school "was something of an anomaly" since it had "a decidedly bohemian vibe" despite having a "strict dress code" and "the usual high academic standards".