Keele Campus facts for kids
The Keele Campus is the biggest campus of York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It's about 1 square kilometre in size. You can find it between Jane Street (west), Keele Street (east), Steeles Avenue West (north), and Finch Avenue West (south). It's the largest university campus in Canada, covering 457 acres.
Contents
- History of Keele Campus
- Exploring the Central Campus
- Vari Hall: The Campus Welcome
- Ross Building: Home to Many Offices
- Central Square: The Campus Hub
- Scott Library: A Place to Study
- Petrie Science Building: Stargazing Spot
- Accolades Project: Arts and Performance
- Student Centre: Food and Fun
- York Lanes: Campus Mall
- Curtis Lecture Halls: Learning Spaces
- York / Harry W. Arthurs Commons: Green Space
- Southern Campus Buildings
- Northern Campus Fun
- Western Campus Features
- Student Residences
- Jacob Stong House and Barn: Historic Site
History of Keele Campus
This land was once covered by farms owned by early settlers. Some of these families included the Stongs and the Kaiser family. The area was even called Kaiserville for a while, named after Peter Kaiser.
The first buildings on campus were built in the 1960s. They were designed by a group of architects and are now considered important historical buildings in Toronto.
Exploring the Central Campus
Many of the main buildings in the central part of the campus are connected by heated walkways. This makes it easy and safe for students and staff to get around, especially in cold weather!
Vari Hall: The Campus Welcome
Vari Hall is mostly used for large lecture halls. It was designed by Raymond Moriyama and built in the early 1990s to give the campus a fresh, new look. The building is named after George Vari and Helen Vari, who were businesspeople and helped pay for its construction. Its round, three-story main area is a popular spot for students to meet up.
Ross Building: Home to Many Offices
The Ross Building mainly holds offices for professors, especially those in the Arts. It's named after Dr. Murray G. Ross, who was the first president of York University. There are also some small classrooms and a cinema inside. The building is divided into two parts: Ross North and Ross South.
Central Square: The Campus Hub
Central Square is like the heart of the campus. It connects the Ross Building, the Scott Library, and the Curtis Lecture Halls. Here, you'll find a big cafeteria, a computer lab, ATMs, and offices that help students and professors.
Scott Library: A Place to Study
The main Scott Library is five stories tall. It has thousands of books, magazines, and other learning materials. There are quiet areas for studying and small rooms you can book for group projects.
The library building itself is an example of a strong, blocky style of architecture from the 1960s and 1970s. It's named after William Pearson Scott, who was a leader on the York University Board.
Sound and Moving Image Library
Inside the Scott Library, on the first floor, is the Sound and Moving Image Library. This library has a huge collection of movies, documentaries, and music. You can find over 15,000 documentaries and 4,000 feature films on DVD, VHS, and even old film reels! For music lovers, there are 26,000 CDs and 13,000 vinyl records, with a great collection of jazz music. Students can use DVD players, Blu-ray players, VCRs, and turntables here.
Petrie Science Building: Stargazing Spot
Built in 1969, the Petrie Science Building is home to the York University Observatory. This observatory has two dome towers that hold powerful telescopes for looking at the stars and planets! The building is named after Robert Methven Petrie, a Canadian astronomer.
Accolades Project: Arts and Performance
The Accolade Project includes two new buildings, Accolade East and Accolade West. These buildings are designed for Canada's future artists and performers. They offer many places for teaching, learning, research, and showing off creative work. They bring together all seven fine arts departments at York University.
Accolade East
Accolade East is the new home for the Music and Dance departments. The Art Gallery of York University is also located here. It has exhibition spaces, performance halls like The Sandra Faire and Ivan Fecan Theatre, and The Recital Hall. You'll also find classrooms and computer labs for all students.
Accolade West
Accolade West is mainly for academic studies. It has classrooms, seminar rooms, and computer labs that can hold many students. It also houses a student-run art gallery and studios for fine arts programs.
Student Centre: Food and Fun
The Student Centre has many fast-food restaurants and shops on its main floor. The upper floors have offices for student groups and services. Some of the restaurants include Wendy's, Jimmy the Greek, and Gino's Pizza. You can also find the Lee Wiggins Daycare Centre and the campus chapel here.
The Underground
In the basement of the Student Centre, you'll find The Underground. This is York's on-campus nightclub, known for its fun theme nights.
- The Underground
New Student Centre
A new student centre was built on the southern part of the campus. Construction started in 2016 and it was finished in Spring 2018.
York Lanes: Campus Mall
York Lanes is a two-story mall right on the Keele campus. On the lower level, you'll find restaurants and shops, including the York University Bookstore. There's also a medical office on campus. The second floor has offices for professors and student groups. Some of the restaurants in York Lanes include Hero Burger, Popeyes, and Thai Express.
Curtis Lecture Halls: Learning Spaces
The Curtis Lecture Halls are a complex of lecture halls of different sizes. Built in 1971, the building is named after Wilfrid A. Curtis, who was the first Chancellor of York University.
York / Harry W. Arthurs Commons: Green Space
The York Harry W. Arthurs Commons is a large, open grassy area. It's surrounded by buildings like Vari Hall, the Student Centre, and York Lanes. It's named after a former York President, Harry Arthurs. The campus's main subway station, York University station, is at its eastern end.
Southern Campus Buildings
The southern part of the campus has buildings for different faculties, like Atkinson College and the Schulich Business School. It also includes the Bennett Centre, which helps students with things like admissions and financial aid.
Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Building: Modern Learning
The Victor Phillip Dahdaleh building, often called the TEL Building, is a very modern building. It has huge open spaces, sharp designs, and smart technology like Wi-Fi throughout. It was built as a joint project between York University and Seneca College. The building is named after Victor P. Dahdaleh, a former York student and businessperson.
Health, Nursing and Environmental Studies Building
This building, known as HNE, is home to the Health, Nursing, and Environmental Studies faculties. It has many lecture halls and seminar rooms for classes.
Seneca @ York
Seneca College shares space at the Keele campus with its own building, called Seneca@York.
Schulich School of Business: Top Business School
The Schulich School of Business is one of the best business schools in Canada. It moved into its new building, the Seymour Schulich Building, in 2003. This building is known for its open spaces where students can study and work together. It's named after Seymour Schulich, a generous supporter and entrepreneur.
Northern Campus Fun
The northern part of the campus has many student residences. It also has several sports facilities, including:
- Alumni Field
- Canlan Ice Sports – York - an ice rink for hockey games
- Sobeys Stadium - a tennis stadium that hosts big tournaments
- Tait McKenzie Centre - a gym and pool
- Toronto Track and Field Centre
- York Lions Stadium - hosts various sports teams
The campus's other subway station, Pioneer Village station, is also on the northern edge.
Western Campus Features
The western part of the campus also has several residences and academic buildings. The William Small building, which used to have a large computer lab, now houses the university's Transportation and Security departments.
The Aviva Centre (now Sobeys Stadium) is located on the west side of the campus.
Stong Pond is a pond that collects rainwater from around the entire campus.
Student Residences
York University has several places where students can live on campus:
- Atkinson Residence - a 9-floor building named after Joseph E. Atkinson.
- Calumet - an apartment complex with suites for students.
- Founder's - a low-rise apartment complex.
- Harry Sherman Crowe Co-op - a 7-floor building named after Professor Harry Sherman Crowe.
- Norman Bethune - a 14-story tower named after Dr. Norman Bethune.
- Passy Gardens - 3-story towers named after Claude Passy.
- Stong - a 14-story tower named after the Stong family, who owned the land.
- The Pond Road - a 9-floor building named after nearby ponds.
- Tatham Hall - a 13-story tower named after Professor George Tatham.
- Vanier - a 13-story tower named after former Governor General of Canada Georges Vanier.
- Winters - a low-rise apartment complex named after Robert Winters.
The Village: Off-Campus Living
Just south of the university is a neighbourhood called The Village. Many students who don't live in campus residences live in the townhouses here. Even though it's off-campus, York University offers a shuttle bus service between The Village and the campus.
Jacob Stong House and Barn: Historic Site
The campus is also home to a historic house and barn at its northeast end. The barn was likely built around 1854, and the house before 1860. The Stong family owned them until 1951. Later, York University used them for housing and as a studio for the Fine Arts faculty. Both buildings are now protected as historic sites by the City of Toronto.
