Page "Upper Canada College" Paragraph 20

The land was purchased in 1913, at a time when the city of Toronto was quickly growing around the college's Deer Park campus and the trustees were considering moving the school to a new location.

Plans for buildings were drawn up by an architectural firm, however, due to the outbreak of the First World War and the depression, the plans to move were abandoned in the 1930s.

The college retained possession of the property, though, and it was developed into an outdoor education centre for UCC students and community.

Beginning in 1913, an annual picnic was held at Norval, the first being catered by the King Edward Hotel.

As the land had originally been cleared for agricultural use, much of the site was open field until, through the 1940s, over 700, 000 seedlings were planted by staff and students, followed by the creation of an arboretum in 1964.

The first bunk house was built in the 1930s and augmented in 1967 by another, larger residence and dining building, known as Stephen House.

Blake Millar's design for Stephen House, which won a Massey Medal for excellence in architecture, contains, in addition to the residential spaces for students and staff, a classroom and laboratory.

There is also a bungalow-style residence for the property caretaker and in 2003 several log cabins were built for writing retreats.