University College, University of Toronto

Wednesday June 23rd 1999

As we travel, we seem to spend a fair amount of time visiting parliaments and universities, and Toronto was no exception. By North American standards, the University of Toronto is an old university, having been founded in 1827 by royal charter. With 52,258 students at the last count, it is also Canada's largest. It has been associated with many famous people, including authors Robertson Davies and Margaret Atwood, film director Norman Jewison, communications guru Marshall McLuhan, chemist John Polanyi (whose work led to the development of the laser) and three Canadian prime ministers.

The main campus, St George, is a blend of old and new, and has some beautiful old college buildings.

Soldiers' Tower, war memorial of the University of Toronto.

One of the focal points for the campus is the so-called Soldiers' Tower, named after the memorial to the members of staff and students of the University of Toronto who died in the two world wars. It is a very simple memorial, listing the names of the fallen, but its function as a gateway to Trinity College means that many more people will see the list of names than would be the case if the monument was located on its own. The building to the left in the photo above, Hart House, is host to a theatre and at long last makes clear to me why top universities in North America are referred to as Ivy League.

Trinity College, University of Toronto

Canadian Music College, Toronto

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