Glendon Hall was the estate of Agnes Euphemia Smart Wood and Edward Rogers Wood. Built between 1920-24, the Italianate-style residence is nestled along the Don Valley, designed to blend with the natural environment. With a history of philanthropy toward post-secondary education, Mrs. Wood gifted the estate upon her death in 1950 for educational and botanical purposes. In 1961, the newly incorporated York University, created to accommodate additional university spaces due to the forecasted baby boom and growing immigration to Canada, established its first campus here. Its rapid growth led York to establish a larger campus on Keele Street in 1965. Glendon was re-envisioned as a liberal arts college within a larger university, with a new mission in an immersive setting, influenced by its landscape. Its first principal, Escott Reid, was a diplomat, scholar and international public servant who defined Glendon’s unique mission of training Canadian civil servants, representing Canada in the world, while strengthening French-English bilingualism. This led to the 2008 provincial designation of Glendon College as the “Centre of Excellence for French-language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education” in Ontario. Glendon’s existence ensures access to education in French. It is the only fully integrated bilingual faculty of its kind in Canada.

Location

In front of Glendon Hall, Glendon Campus, North York

Themes

• Arts and culture
• Buildings and structures
• Communities
• Education
• Franco-Ontarian heritage
• Organizations
• People
• Politics and law