About

The School of Today

St. Joseph - Scollard Hall is a fairly young school with a great history. The St. Joseph Scollard Hall (est. 1985) that you see now was not always that way.

It began in 1985 when North Bay's two Catholic High Schools (Scollard Hall(boys) and St. Joseph/St. Mary's Academy (girls) merged and became one school. The teachers of today are mostly Catholic men and women, many of whom were former students of the schools.

Scollard Hall

The Scollard Hall was the Catholic Boy's High School from 1931 to 1985. It offered education to day students and boarding students.

The school was founded and run by the Resurrectionist Priests and Brothers. The Resurrectionists, who came from Kitchener, ON, taught and ran the school.

St. Joseph College

The St. Joseph's College was the Catholic Girls' High School from 1939 to 1985. It also offered education to day students and boarding students. It was founded and run by the Sisters of St. Joseph, who mostly came from Northern Ontario.

The School, originally named St. Joseph's Academy, was renamed in 1945 to St. Mary's Academy where in 1970 it was again renamed to St. Joseph's College.

What's in a name?

The deep roots of our rich history are exposed when we hear the name St. Joseph-Scollard Hall Catholic Secondary School. We should take a microscopic view of the name if we wish to know the specifics of our background.

On September 8, 1920 the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peterborough opened St. Joseph's Academy in the newly purchased and renovated Grand Union Hotel. The Sisters purchased this location with the negotiating assistance of Bishop David J. Scollard. The private school would provide a sound Catholic high school education for both day and resident female students for many years to come.

In 1937 the Sisters of St. Joseph of Sault Ste. Marie became an entity unto themselves. It was under their direction that the boarding section of St. Joseph's Academy closed in December, 1938 and the students took up new residence at St. Joseph's College in January, 1939. Because of the overflow at the new school, it was determined that grades 9 and 10 along with junior commercial classes would be taught at St. Joseph's Academy which became St. Mary's Academy in 1945.

Again registrations were at a peak and the senior commercial class at St. Joseph's College moved to St. Mary's Academy in 1953, but it was still included in the "College" graduation exercises until 1959. At this point, St. Mary's Commercial Academy came into existence and remained until June, 1969. St. Joseph's College continued to grow and saw three separate expansions- 1956, 1961, and 1970.

The male students were privileged to attend North Bay College (Scollard Hall) because of the efforts of Most Reverend David J. Scollard, D.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie. He wrote a letter in June, 1929 to Very Reverend A.L. Zinger, C.R., then Superior of the Congregation of the Resurrection, in Kitchener, Ontario. He asked the priests and brothers of that order to establish a private English classical and commercial boarding and day school for boys. North Bay College (Scollard Hall) received its first students on September 8, 1931 and the school prospered.

St. Joseph's College and North Bay College (Scollard Hall) closed their doors for good in June 1985 and from their legacies the co-educational St. Joseph-Scollard Hall Catholic Secondary School emerged to serve day students from North Bay and its surrounding communities. The school is now under the direction of the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board.

It was the vision and persistence of Bishop David J. Scollard, along with the sisters of St. Joseph (Peterborough and Sault Diocese) and members of the Congregation of the Resurrection, which have brought us to our present glorious days of Catholic education in the region.

What's in a name? Now, you know. Now, you know about us!

(Information taken from the archives • Alumnae Newsletter of St. Joseph's Academy, St. Joseph's College, St. Mary's Commercial Academy (Circa 1969) and the 1934 Green and Gold Yearbook of Scollard Hall)

Religious Outreach

Religion classes at St. Joseph – Scollard Hall are encouraged to participate in Religious Outreach(Community Service Activities).  The purpose of this opportunity is to extend the experience of our faith by imitating Christ who reached out to all those He met.  Essentially, reaching out to people that require assistance or providing joy to our fellow human beings.

“For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

 

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