Heritage Toronto

A class photo from the Rose Avenue Public School, ca. 1890. Courtesy of the Toronto Public Library.

Rose Avenue Junior Public School, St. James Town, ca. 1980-1985. Courtesy of the City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 1465, File 381, Item 16.

Rose Avenue Junior Public School. 675 Ontario Street. December 2021.

Rose Avenue Public School

A community gathering spot for over 100 years

The Rose Avenue Junior Public School, located at 675 Ontario Street, was one of the few buildings spared the wrecking ball in the urban renewal vision of the 1960s. The first school in the area was built in 1883 and faced Rose Avenue. Built to accommodate up to 250 pupils, it served the surrounding community until the 1920s, when the building was condemned. A new Rose Avenue School opened in March 1924.

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Rose Avenue Public School

A community gathering spot for over 100 years

The school’s frontage was never originally designed as a community parkette, but it become a popular gathering space thanks to its location at the centre of the neighbourhood on a pedestrian-only promenade. In 1989, the parkette was identified as a priority area and redeveloped to serve as an informal community meeting space as part of the City’s Community Improvement Program. St. James Town has been the subject of several additional proposals to improve community spaces amidst its tall buildings; however, implementation of these plans has been slow.

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Rose Avenue Public School

A community gathering spot for over 100 years

Today, the school is a representative slice of the greater neighbourhood. It serves a student population of over 700 students from kindergarten through Grade 6. More than 85% of the students cite English as their second language and represent about 50 language groups. Many students’ families are new arrivals from other countries, with many from Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and from countries in Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa.

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Rose Avenue Public School

A community gathering spot for over 100 years

Rose Avenue Public School

A community gathering spot for over 100 years

Rose Avenue Public School

A community gathering spot for over 100 years

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