When the College was established by Monseigneur Armand-François-Marie de Charbonnel, the second bishop of Toronto, he entrusted it to the Basilian Fathers who began immediately to look for a site where they might build.

Captain, the Honourable John Elmsley, son of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Upper Canada, a convert to Catholicism and a strong supporter of Catholic education, offered to donate land for the construction of the new institution.

The four lots that Elmsley donated were part of his estate that lay north of the city beyond clover-covered fields that rose gently to a low hill, hence its name, Cloverhill.

"Approaching from the south [the city] across open fields the building, constructed of white brick of the highest quality makes a most favourable impression.

The general design of the building was in the hands of Father Jean-Mathieu Soulerin, the first Rector of St. Michael's College, in consultation with his Basilian Superior back in France and the Bishop.

The cornerstone was officially laid on Sunday September 16, 1855; and over the following year the Basilians and a group of laymen headed by Elmsley strove mightily to raise the £12,000 (about $20,000), estimated construction costs.

The entrance from the south façade consisted of a high wooden platform reached by two steep flights of stairs from both the east and west sides down to ground level.

The statue of the Sacred Heart, an earlier gift of Mrs. Elmsley that had stood above the tabernacle over the main altar was moved to the west wall, where it continues to stand.

New vestments, liturgical vessels and a sanctuary lamp were purchased, their cost met by donations from parishioners and College alumni.

The completion of this expansion, renovation and refurbishment was celebrated in 1878 on the occasion of the silver anniversary of Vincent's ordination to the priesthood.

This provided for an enlarged vestibule, a choir loft, a new south façade with a rose window, and a proper tower with a slated-covered steeple topped by a Celtic cross.

In this period, the basement student chapel was expanded to the south and refurbished including the installation of stained glass windows.

To mark the first anniversary of Father Brennan's death, in 1906 a west wall stained glass window of Christ blessing the children was erected and dedicated.

In 1980 this altar was replaced by a more permanent one dedicated to the memory of a parishioner, Colin P. O’Shea, was installed along with a matching ambo and commentator's stand.

Chris Valka, CSB, the most recent extensive renovations (2014–17), saw several pews at the rear of the nave removed to create space for a baptistery area and a new baptismal font.

The curve of the marble on the South end represents the location of the original altar rail which was discovered during the renovation.

Substantial work was completed to update the electrical, plumbing and fire safety measures to meet modern code requirements.

Beginning in the sanctuary and proceeding southwards the first window depicts Father Jean-Mathieu Soulerin, the first St. Michael's Rector and Pastor of St.

The last pair of windows, now hidden behind the new confessional room, commemorates the early pastors and priests of the parish, and provides an accurate inventory of the figures depicted on that wall.

The two stained-glass windows over the two main door entrances to the church are due to the effort of Father Rudy Deimer, Pastor of St.

The rose window on the south façade was erected in 1985 at the suggestion of Father James McConica, C.S.B, President of the University of Saint Michael's College.

This glass was now re-worked into a new rose window designed by Edward Low, a member of the McCausland firm that a century earlier installed St.

Basil's (installed in September 2017) have restored the stained-glass windows over the two sanctuary side altars that were bricked over almost a century ago.

In charge of the choir, Vincent arranged for the appointment of an organist, a young Dutch Catholic immigrant, Sebastian Klinger whose wife was a trained soprano.

In 1866 Vincent, now the College Rector, asked a young Basilian priest of considerable musical talent, Father Edward Murray, to take charge as organist and choir master.

The Very Reverend John Joseph Lynch, Charbonnel's successor as Bishop of Toronto, a stern episcopal autocrat very critical of the Basilian approach to the education of young seminarians, insisted that the students who he judged were making inappropriate contact with young women in the congregation demanded that they be segregated.

Arranged and edited by Father Murray and some Sisters of St. Joseph, and produced in the local Salvation Army print shop, the collection was published in 1887 as the St.

Basil's received a setback in 1905 when Pope Pius X issued a decree that from henceforth Roman Catholic church choirs should be composed solely of males.

The facade and pipework were rearranged to expose the rose window, the electronics in the console updated, and a full-scale tonal revision completed.

He also organized and directed a schola cantorum composed of St. Michael's students and Basilian seminarians that took over the singing at Sunday High Mass.