HISTORY & TRADITIONS

OUR HISTORY

The Castle was built as a private residence in 1859 by Nelson Gilbert Reynolds, Sheriff of Ontario County. It was the largest private residence in North America until 1914, when Casa Loma was built.

Built of limestone and stone in an Elizabethan style, the Castle took three years to complete. Reynolds lived at the Castle until 1874, when, overcome with financial difficulty, he was forced to sell the Castle and surrounding land to the Methodist Church of Canada.

Fuelled by a belief in the power of girls, the Castle was converted into a school for young women and named the Ontario Ladies’ College (OLC). In 1979, Ontario Ladies’ College became Trafalgar Castle School.

Much has changed since we first opened our doors to educating girls and young women in 1874, but we remain steadfast in our traditions and true to our founding mission of educating and challenging young women to achieve excellence in all aspects of life.

OUR TRADITIONS

While many of our traditions have remained consistent for 150 years, over the decades our students have implemented new ones as well.

May Day

Established in 1907 and celebrated since, the May Day Festival brings our school and diverse local communities together to celebrate the arrival of Spring and the warmth of our community. Celebrations begin with students who best exemplify our school values of determination, imagination, resilience, kindness, and insight formally being elected to the May Council. What follows is a fun-filled day of cultural music and dance, delicious food, inflatable games and more. What makes this festival even more special is the involvement of each and every one of our students. (Are you a local business and are interested in being a part of May Day? Complete our Vendor Application Form and submit it to Communications Department)

Trafalgar Day

Trafalgar Day represents the highest regard for academics and school life at Trafalgar Castle School. Introduced in 1874 by Dr. Hare, first Principal of the Ontario Ladies’ College, Trafalgar Day honours our graduating class, recognizing their outstanding achievements and exceptional contributions to school life throughout their time at the Castle.

Held at the end of the school year, this event —once known as Commencement — includes our graduating students linked together by a daisy chain created by the Parents’ Guild. As each student prepares to take her place on stage, the daisy chain is cut to symbolize the start of their next life chapter.

Holiday Market

Dating back to the early 1900s, our Annual Holiday Market remains an integral part of our community traditions.

Every year, hundreds from Durham Region and beyond pass through the Castle doors to immerse themselves in live music, the Alumnae Tea Room, local vendors, homemade crafts and a silent auction organized by the Parents’ Guild.

Proceeds from the Holiday Market support local, national and international organizations.

Our House System

In 1947, Ontario Ladies’ College established a House System at the Castle which divided students into groups to compete for points based on things like uniform neatness, athletics and more.

The Houses to be established were Farewell, Hare, Carter, and Maxwell, named after the prominent personalities of the School’s principals who served between 1947 and 1957: Dr. Hare, Reverand Farewell, Ms. Maxwell and Ms. J. May Carter.

This House system continues today at Trafalgar Castle School with our students competing in fun activities throughout the year to ultimately attain the coveted House Cup.