Heritage Toronto

Margaret Eaton School of Literature and Expression, 38 1/2 North Street (now Bay Street), west side, south of Bloor, 1908. Courtesy of City of Toronto Archives.

Ski group with Patty Sterne Sanders, pre-1939, Toronto. Courtesy of Margaret Eaton School Digital Collection - Redeemer University College.

Women playing softball, ca. 1924, Toronto. Image: City of Toronto Archives

Margaret Eaton School's first basketball team, 1925, Toronto. Image: Archives of Ontario

Early Days

“The School of Literature and Expression”

A hundred years ago, 415 Yonge Street was the site of Canada’s first specialized physical education school for women. In 1901, Emma Scott Raff founded “The School of Literature and Expression” at Yonge & Bloor. It was later renamed after major benefactor Margaret Eaton. Originally, the school focused on subjects such as theatre, elocution, and classic literature. But it soon expanded to include physical education like dance and gymnastics.

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415 Yonge Street

In 1918, the physical education department moved into a former YWCA building at 415 Yonge Street. Used in the evenings by the T. Eaton Company for after-work activities, the school operated out of it during the day. The building was equipped with the necessary facilities, including a gymnasium and swimming pool.

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Focus on Physical Education

Declining enrolment in the drama department meant that by 1926, The Margaret Eaton school focused solely on physical education. It offered a two-year Physical Education diploma. Students received training in theoretical subjects like anatomy and hygiene, as well as practical study in first aid and sports. In the fall, students attended Camp Tanamakoon in Algonquin Park to study outdoor education and leadership training.

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A New Vocation

The 1920s and 30s have been described as a ‘golden age for women in Canadian sport.’ Women were breaking barriers in professional sports, the Olympics, and sports journalism. These women athletes needed women leaders. The Margaret Eaton School opened doors and prepared women for this emerging field. Alumnae often found jobs in camps, private schools, and YWCAs. The school operated until 1942, when it merged with the University of Toronto to form the first Bachelor of Physical Education in Canada.

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Early Days

“The School of Literature and Expression”

415 Yonge Street

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