St. Andrew's College, Aurora

St. Andrew's College (SAC) is an independent boarding and day school founded in 1899 and located in Aurora, Ontario, Canada.

It is a university-preparatory school for boys in grades 5 to 12, with a focus on academic achievement, athletics, and leadership development.

It is accredited by the Canadian Educational Standards Institute and is affiliated with other associations, including CAIS, CASE, NAIS and the International Boys' Schools Coalition (IBSC).

[3] St. Andrew's College was first situated at the northeast corner of Yonge Street and Roxborough Avenue, in the Toronto neighbourhood of Rosedale, in a house named Chestnut Park previously owned by Sir David Macpherson.

By 1909, the college had students from Canada, Jamaica, the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, China, and Bermuda.

[5] The school made its final move in 1926 to Aurora, where the current campus occupies a 126-acre (0.51 km2) site in a suburban environment.

The Aurora campus was featured in the filming of Cadet Kelly and the 5th episode of the Netflix mini-series The Queen's Gambit.

Established in 1905, the #142 St. Andrew's College Highland Cadet Corps is now a multi-year leadership program, but still culminates in an annual inspection and parade in April.

On April 24, 1906, the corps made its first public appearance at Queen's Park where it was reviewed by the Duke of Connaught, and on May 18 it participated in training drills with the 48th Highlanders.

The School's cadet corps is affiliated with the 48th Highlanders of Canada and retains the same motto ("Dileas Gu Brath" – "Faithful Forever") as well as uniform (scarlet tunic and Modern Gordon tartan).

In 1941, a jaguar skin that had been shot by Theodore Roosevelt was donated to the college to be worn by the bass drummer.

Some of these activities and events involve the entire student body, while others are directed towards alumni and their friends and families.

In 1999 the architectural firm KPMB headed a project which consisted of planning for a new middle school and parking lot on the established campus.

[24] In late 2019, The Dalton Company executed a project which saw the complete internal-reconstruction of all 3 floors within the McLaughlin Hall science building.

In the CAD $10 million project, the entire interior of the building was reduced back to the core structure, and reconstructed with state of the art facilities for science and technology.

[25] The newly renovated McLaughlin Hall also houses a Foucault Pendulum on display which spans vertically through all 3 stories of the building.

[27] It was completed in 2014 and was officially opened on September 20, 2014,[28] and serves as the home base for the school's hockey team, the Saints.

[29] [30] Coulter Hall – A three-floor classroom building opened in 1962[31]—the second and third floor is designated for use by the Math and English departments, respectively.

[32] Rogers Hall – A classroom wing built in 2003, all Middle School classes take place here, save for music and art.

The Center for Leadership, Innovation, and Performance (CLIP) – A fairly new 3-level addition to the campus (2015), which is home to the Business, Geography, Theatre, and Music departments.

The Wirth Theatre is supported by the Reininger Rehearsal space under it and is also connected to the main auditorium which seats over 400 people for school assemblies and ceromonies.

It houses one of the two gymnasiums on campus, as well as 6 international squash courts, a 25-metre six lane indoor swimming pool, a fitness and weight training facility, 10 locker rooms, and a fully staffed sports injury/athletic therapist clinic.

The Modern Languages Department teaches French and Spanish in the second-floor classrooms of the building, with Health and Physical Education classes taking place in the gymnasium.

SAC campus in Chestnut Park, 1899–1905
SAC cadets marching in the annual Church Parade, 2019
The first cadet corps in 1905–06. Vincent Massey is in the front row, 3rd from left.
St. Andrew's College in Rosedale, Toronto , circa 1910s, prior to the move to Aurora, Ontario
Picture of the School's first cadet Pipes and Drums band in 1915
St. Andrew's College Memorial Chapel