Lisgar Collegiate Institute facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lisgar Collegiate Institute |
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| Address | |
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29 Lisgar Street
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Canada
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| Coordinates | 45°25′14.2″N 75°41′17.0″W / 45.420611°N 75.688056°W |
| Information | |
| Funding type | Public |
| Motto | Alere Flammam (Nourish the Flame) |
| Founded | 1843 |
| School board | Ottawa Carleton District School Board |
| Superintendent | Prince Duah |
| Area trustee | Justine Bell |
| Administrator | Mejd Elmahdi |
| Principal | Steven Spidell |
| Vice Principals | Babak Ghiri Janice Bernstein |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 909 (2021-2022) |
| Campus type | Urban |
| Colour(s) | Blue, Silver |
| Team name | Lords |
| Newspaper | Lisgarwrite |
| Yearbook | Vox Lycei |
| Communities served | Sandy Hill, New Edinburgh, Centretown, Rockcliffe Park, Ontario |
| Public transit access | Line 1 station uOttawa. Also served by routes 5 and 14. |
Lisgar Collegiate Institute is a public secondary school in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. The school is located in downtown Ottawa, right next to the Rideau Canal.
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History of Lisgar Collegiate Institute
Lisgar Collegiate Institute started as a small grammar school in 1843. It had 40 students who paid to attend. The school was in the Sandy Hill area of Ottawa.
In 1859, it became one of the first schools in Ontario to allow girls to attend. The school moved several times in its early years. It was first called Bytown Grammar School, then Ottawa Grammar School. In 1871, it became a high school. By 1873, it was known as Ottawa Collegiate Institute.
The school found a permanent home in 1873. The school board bought land on Biddy Street for $3,200. Biddy Street was renamed Lisgar Street in 1880. This was in honor of Lord Lisgar, who was Canada's second Governor-General.
A new building was constructed in the Gothic Revival style. It cost $26,000 to build. The Governor General at the time, Lord Dufferin, helped lay the first stone. The school officially opened in 1874.
In 1892, Lisgar became the first public high school in Ontario to hire a female teacher. Four new classrooms were added to the south side that same year.
A fire in 1893 caused the school to close temporarily. Lisgar was one of the few buildings to survive the Great Ottawa fire. The school has had 23 fires in total. Three of these were major fires: in 1893, 1915, and 1942.
In 1903, an east wing was built, adding eight new classrooms. In 1908, a west wing was added. This wing included laboratories, an auditorium, and the main tower.
A rifle range was added in 1912 for the cadet corps. Students practiced shooting there until after World War II.
A cafeteria was added in the basement in 1923. In 1922, the school was split to form Glebe Collegiate Institute. After this, Ottawa Collegiate Institute was renamed Ottawa Lisgar Street Collegiate Institute. This name was soon shortened to Lisgar Collegiate Institute. Glebe and Lisgar have been rivals ever since.
In 1951, a new gymnasium was built across the street. A tunnel connected it to the main school building. This tunnel was reopened for students in October 2015. The new building was made larger in 1962. The old gym became the cafeteria. The original building is now called the North Building. The newer one is the South Building. The South Building has computer labs, music rooms, and communication technology classrooms. Students can use "The Mall" area or the tunnel to move between the two buildings.
In 1953, the school's current steep roof was installed. This was done to help prevent ice from building up in winter. The old roof is still underneath it.
In 1957, Lisgar was the first school in Ontario to start a special program for gifted students.
In the 1970s, the Ottawa Board of Education planned to close the school. However, people from the community and former students stopped this. Instead, the school was completely renovated.
In 1996, the third floor of the North building was updated. Its science labs were made modern. In March 2003, parts of the first and second floors and the basement were damaged. A water pipe broke, which closed the school for a week.
Memorial Hall at Lisgar
Lisgar Collegiate Institute has several memorials. These honor students and alumni who served in wars.
A plaque honors Sergeant Edward James Gibson Holland, VC. He was a graduate of Ottawa Collegiate. He received the Victoria Cross for his bravery in the Second Boer War in 1900.
Another plaque remembers students of Ottawa Collegiate Institute who died in World War I. A special memorial also honors Lieutenant Alexis Helmer. He was killed in World War I. He was part of the inspiration for the famous poem In Flanders Fields.
There is also a plaque for former Lisgar students who died during the Second World War. A framed poster honors the sixteen Canadians who received the Victoria Cross in the Second World War.
In 2008, a plaque was put up for Pilot Officer David Francis Gaston Rouleau. He died during the Second World War while trying to reach Malta.
Lisgar Collegiate Institute also has a memorial for former students who died or served during the Korean War.
Finally, a memorial frame includes a Canadian flag that was flown in Afghanistan. This flag was given to Lisgar by LCol Plourde.
Academics at Lisgar
Lisgar is known for its strong academic programs. The Fraser Institute ranked Lisgar 12th among all secondary schools in Ontario in 2021/22. It was ranked 1st in Ottawa.
The school serves students from neighborhoods like Sandy Hill, New Edinburgh, Centretown, and Rockcliffe Park. In 2006, some parents even camped overnight to try and get their children transferred to Lisgar.
Lisgar offers Advanced Placement (AP) courses. These are college-level courses that students can take in high school. Students can earn an Ontario Credit for these courses. They can also take an AP exam in May. If they score well, they might earn college credit. In 2016, Lisgar started its AP Capstone Program. This program requires students to take specific AP courses and exams.
Students from Lisgar have often placed in the top ten in the Canadian Mathematical Olympiad. Lisgar is also home to the student-run Ottawa-Carleton Educational Space Simulation.
Music Programs
Lisgar Collegiate Institute has many musical groups. These include:
- Concert band (for beginners)
- Symphonic winds (for senior students)
- Concert orchestra (for beginners)
- Lisgar Symphony Orchestra (for senior students)
There are also smaller groups like the string ensemble. Other groups include junior and senior jazz bands. Saxophone, flute, and clarinet ensembles are also available. These groups often take part in music competitions. They also perform two concerts each year.
Athletics
Lisgar offers a variety of sports for students. These include:
- Rugby
- Soccer
- Hockey
- Basketball
- Rowing
- Cross country
The school has an "Athletic Wall of Fame." This wall celebrates the achievements of past Lisgar athletes. New members are added to the wall during school reunions.
Clubs and Activities
Lisgar has many clubs for students to join. Some popular clubs include:
- Lisgar Business Co (also known as DECA)
- Debate Club
- Biomedical Club
- Model United Nations Club
- Chess+ Club
- Film Club
- Lisgar's Environmental Action Force (LEAF)
- Ottawa-Carleton Educational Space Simulation (Spacesim)
- Key Club
- Vox Lycei (the yearbook club)
- Lisgarwrite (the school newspaper)
The Student Council at Lisgar helps run many school events. They organize activities like the Annual Pancake Breakfast. They also put on the week-long 'Battle of the Grades' and the end-of-year 'Oscars'.
Lisgar's Reach for the Top team has won national championships. They won in 2008, 2015, and 2017. In 2006, they were the first Canadian team to compete in the National Academic Quiz Tournaments (NAQT) High School National Championships. They placed 25th. In 2008, they qualified for both the Canadian Reach for the Top finals and the NAQT championships. They won the national title in Edmonton that year.
The school's Improv team has also won the National Tournament of the Canadian Improv Games. They won in 1999 and 2000. From 2004 to 2012, they almost always qualified for the Canadian National tournament.
Notable Alumni
- Alexis Helmer – A soldier in World War I, who helped inspire the poem In Flanders Fields.
- Henry Botterell – A Canadian Fighter Pilot in World War I.
- Maurice Brodie – A researcher who worked on polio.
- Desmond T. Burke – A famous marksman and doctor, in Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.
- Sam Berger – A lawyer involved with the Ottawa Rough Riders football team. He won 4 Grey Cups as their owner.
- King Clancy – Played 16 seasons in the NHL for the Senators and Maple Leafs. He was part of three Stanley Cup winning teams.
- Adrienne Clarkson – A well-known broadcaster and the 26th Governor General of Canada.
- Peter Cureton – An actor and playwright.
- Ted Finn – The first director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
- Eugene Forsey – A former Canadian Senator and expert on the constitution.
- Jessa Gamble – An author and science journalist.
- Arnold Gosewich – An executive in the record industry and a literary agent.
- Lorry Greenberg – A former mayor of Ottawa.
- Lorne Greene – A newsreader and actor, famous for the TV show Bonanza.
- James Walton Groves – A mycologist, who studies fungi.
- Bruce Halliday – A physician and former Member of Parliament.
- Laura Hannant – A child activist.
- Anne Heggtveit – A world and Olympic ski champion.
- David Hein – Co-author and co-composer of the musical Come from Away.
- Sergeant Edward J.B. Holland VC – A soldier who won the Victoria Cross for bravery in the Second Boer War.
- Donald Jackson – A world champion figure skater. He was the first to perform a triple lutz jump.
- Peter Jennings – An ABC News anchor.
- Martin John – A professional soccer player for Cardiff City.
- Bruce Kirby – The designer of the Laser dinghy sailboat.
- Evelyn Lambart – An animator.
- Dominic LeBlanc – A lawyer and politician. He has served as a Canadian Minister.
- Rich Little – A famous impressionist.
- Naomi K. Lewis – An author.
- Adam Logan – A former world Scrabble champion.
- Pegi Nicol MacLeod – A teacher, war artist, and arts activist.
- David McGuffin – A CBC News Africa Correspondent.
- R. Tait McKenzie – A physician, educator, athlete, and sculptor. He was a friend of James Naismith, who invented basketball.
- Susan McMaster – A poet and performance poet.
- Timco Mucunski – A Macedonian Member of Parliament and academic.
- Kate O'Brien – A doctor specializing in infectious diseases in children. She is a director at the World Health Organization.
- Chamath Palihapitiya – The founder and CEO of Social Capital. He is also part owner of the Golden State Warriors basketball team.
- Matthew Perry – An actor, known for playing Chandler Bing on Friends.
- Paola Pivi – An international multimedia artist.
- Simon Pulsifer – A contributor to Wikipedia.
- Shelagh Rogers – A journalist and host of Sounds Like Canada.
- Mike Shaver – A software developer.
- Shane Smith – A journalist and founder of Vice Magazine.
- Percy Sparks – A manufacturer and environmentalist. He is known as the Father of Gatineau Park.
- Valdy – A folk and country musician.
- Bill Westwick – A sports editor for the Ottawa Journal. He is in the Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
- Gordon F. Henderson – A top Canadian lawyer and Chancellor of the University of Ottawa.
Notable Teachers
- Robert Tang – Received an award for teaching excellence from the Prime Minister.
See also
- List of Ottawa, Ontario schools
- Ottawa-Carleton Educational Space Simulation
- List of designated heritage properties in Ottawa
- List of high schools in Ontario
