Did you Know......

DID YOU KNOW........
is interesting tidbits of information you may or may not know about our old high schools.
Check it out!

"The Love of Christ Has Gathered Us Together"
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"Teach Me Goodness, Discipline and Knowledge"

Did you know......The Sisters of St. Joseph opened St. Joseph Islington in 1949 with a population of 150 girls.

Did you know.......St. Joseph Islington was named after the patron saint of Canada.

left to right:Lou Parsons, Vince Coglan, Ray McPherson, Rev. John Mullins, Bishop Allen, Jim Goddard, Paul Grace, Rev. P. H. Johnson

Did you know......Michael Power was constructed on the south side of Dundas behind a farmhouse, in an orchard and next to an Esso station.


Did you know......Michael power High School opened its doors in September of 1957.


Did you know......Fr. John Mullins of St. Michael's College School was the first Principal of Michael Power.


Did you know......The Basilian Fathers named the school after one of their patrons, St. Francis. However, before the summer of 1957 was over Cardinal McGuigan changed the name to Bishop Power ( the name on the corner stone ) and later to Michael Power. Before the school opened it had three different letterheads.

Did you know......Michael Power was Toronto's first Roman Catholic Bishop.

Did you know......Six Basilian Fathers were appointed to run the school the first year, there were 160 students and tuition was $150.


Did you know......The orchard was cut down the summer before the school opened to begin work on a playing field that would take over two years to complete.


Did you know......An additional wing was added to Michael Power in 1960.

Tom Faughnan and team

Did you know......Tom Faughnan came to Michael Power 1958 and was at Power the longest of any staff member.


Did you know......When of driving age, cars were only allowed if the school was pre-notified and the keys were left with the Principal.


Did you know....The first grade 12 graduating class was in 1961.

Did you know....the first girls joined the Michael Power classroom in 1960 for physics and chemistry.

Did you know....by 1961 Power students were taking biology classes at St. Joe's and St. Joe's students were at Power to take physics, Latin and a few other subjects.

Did you know....in 1967 Michael Power's 10th anniversary coincided with the country's 100th birthday.

Did you know....in 1968 the underground "Post" was born only to be crushed by the establishment.

Did you know....in 1970 the grade 13's got their own smoking lounge established in a portable. It went up in flames one winter day.

Did you know....the 1970's saw the merge of Michael Power and St. Joe's yearbook - the Clarion.

Did you know....In the 70's the "Post" became the regular school rag.

Did you know....in 1971 new classrooms and a gym arrived. That would be centre portable, south portable and gym C.

Did you know....1973 was the year that Michael Power officially was no longer an all boys school (with the exception of religion and gym). That was the September that we started grade nine....YEH!

Did you know.....1973 saw the introduction of the semester system. The switch from nine 1/2 hour classes to four 70 minute classes was a welcomed change. 

Did you know.....the 70's saw Power dominate nearly every team and individual sport in the TDCAA (and also Ontario) as far as track and field was concerned.

Did you know.....In 1973 Father Malone replaced FatherMohen as Principal. It was his second time as Principal at Power, the first being 1964-68.

Did you know.....a shining success of the union of Michael Power and St. Joseph's High School was the day Father Malone showed up wearing a blazer made of St. Joe's kilt plaid.

Did you know.....in 1975 the Junior Trojan football team won all ten league and exhibition games on thier way to the championship as well as never being scored against.

Did you know......Michael Power Principal Father Clare Malone passed away September 14, 1977 just as we started our final year of high school. He was replaced by Father John Redmond.

Father Clare Malone

Did you know......we were the last graduating class from Michael Power and St. Joseph's to hold the graduation ceremony at St. Michael's Cathedral. It was moved to the Etobicoke Olympium.

Did you know......after we graduated the annual Christmas assembly and civies days were no more.

Did you know......in 1978 the Clarion yearbook won the Sun Yearbook Award for photography and in 1979 for graphics and design.

Did you know......in 1979 Michael Power was broken into. Damaged was primarily inflicted on a newly purchased school van. Incase you are wondering, those responsible were caught.

Did you know......Father Bernard Regan passed away on November 26, 1979. He was at Michael Power for fourteen years teaching Latin, coachung house league teams and Director of the Dad's Club.

Father Bernard Regan

Did you know......rumours began to circulate that the Michael Power/ St. Joe's properties were to be sold to a developer and the schools moved to Royal York Collegiate.

Did you know......Father John Redmond passed away on September 21, 1981. Father Redmond served the school for nineteen years as a teacher, Athletic Director and his last six years as the Principal of Michael Power.

Father John Redmond

Did you know......Michael Power and St. Joseph's officially amalgamated in 1982. The designated Principal was a Basilian Father and the Vice Principal was a Sister of St. Joseph.


Did you know......the Basilian Fathers continued to lead Michael Power/St. Joseph's, a commitment that concluded with the retirement of Father Paul James.

Did you know......in 1993 the school moved to it's present location on Eringate Drive in Etobicoke. Previously the building housed Vincent Massey Collegiate Institute.

Michael Power/ St. Joseph's Catholic Secondary High School.....today.