Early Era: 1805-1979
Long before the Story Arts Centre was born, the land beneath us was in the care of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. It was part of Treaty 13, also known as the Toronto Purchase. It then became a part of the Playter family’s land. The land later went to the Helliwell family, entrepreneurs that developed the neighbourhood further with a mill and pubs. The land’s status as a school began in 1915 when Earl Kitchener Public School was built on the corner of Pape and Mortimer. It continued to be a centre for education when the Normal School was moved from St. James Square to Earl Kitchener because it was used for the war effort in 1941. In 1953 the Normal School became the Toronto Teacher’s College which continued to educate future teachers for nearly three decades until Centennial College bought the building in 1979. However, before we enter the modern Centennial Era the building closed for renovations, which made way for the following era…
Toronto Teacher’s College (Architect Firm Page & Steele, 1955)
Degrassi High Era: 1989-1991
Despite being closed for renovations in 1989, art and education still found its way into the building. The stage was set, and the lights shone on the building's time as a filming location for Degrassi High.
Walk the corridors that housed the iconic and controversial events of the teen show; the classroom where Caitlin dumped Joey, the halls where Lucy filmed the “first feminist horror film” and the courtyard where sensitive themes played out concerning AIDS, teen pregnancy, abortion, mental health, and suicide. Degrassi’s impact on Canadian culture is undeniable and the SAC building was immortalized as a dynamic stage of the intense drama of this innovative program.
Degrassi High on set, Story Arts Centre, 1989-91
(Photographer: Janet L. Webb. Courtesy of WildBrain )
Centennial Era: 1994-2026
The renovations are complete! And it’s finally time to bring real students back into the school. The building started as the Bell Centre for Creative Communications in 1994, equipped with the latest fibre optic network, the Centre rivalled the speed of the CBC broadcast centre. When it opened, the Bell Centre was the most technologically advanced school in Canada and it continued to be a hub for media and communications. In 2015, the building finally became The Story Arts Centre under influential former Dean Nate Horowitz. The brand new name reflected the importance of art and design of all mediums and the building continued to influence the community with its technology, alumni and more recently its status as a standout venue for Nuit Blanche.
Artist conceptual drawing for lobby of the Bell Centre for Creative Communication
(Courtesy: Centennial College)
Thank You!!!
Thanks to the generosity of WildBrain, the University of Toronto Archives, the Centennial College Archives, former Dean - Nate Horowitz, and Story Arts Centre Librarian - Toni Stockton, the college has worked to acquire and display artifacts to carry you through time.
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Curated by Julanna Vine, Taylor French, and Lukas Talib, this exhibition aims to take you on a journey through the storied eras of the Story Arts Centre.