Ridley College
Encyclopedia
Ridley College is a co-educational boarding
and day university-preparatory school
located in St. Catharines, Ontario
, Canada
, 20 miles (32 km) from Niagara Falls
. The school confers the Ontario Secondary School Diploma
as well as the Advanced Placement and will begin offering the International Baccalaureate curricula Diploma Programme in September 2012. Originally established as an Anglican-affiliated all-boys school in 1889, Ridley became coeducational in 1973.
, a 16th century churchman in England martyred during the Protestant Reformation
, the school was originally known as Bishop Ridley College. The school's first campus, known as the Springbank campus, was integrated into the then-recently closed hotel of the same name constructed in 1864 by Dr. Theophilus Mack on Yates Street in St. Catharines. In 1903, the Springbank campus was destroyed as a result of a fire. The school was rebuilt on the site of its current campus, the address and street name of which soon became known as Ridley Road. The cornerstone of the Upper School building was laid in 1904. The first dormitory, Dean's House, was built in 1907.
The school experienced rapid expansion in respect to the campus for approximately the next three decades, including the building of academic and athletic facilities, and the Memorial Chapel, dedicated to Ridleians who lost their lives in World War I
. Ferdinand Herbert Marani (architect), of Mariani & Paisley designed several buildings at the College: The Lower School (1926-27); residence for H.G. Williams, Headmaster (1929); Schmon Infirmary (1949) and Memorial Great Hall (1949).
There are approximately 460 Upper School students at Ridley. The Upper School, or School House, Building has a campus co-op store, a computer repair and order desk, and classrooms. The Second Century Building (“2CB”) houses three main departments: the science department, the art department, and the music and drama department. The latter includes several labs and various studio rooms. The Mandeville Theatre operates as an auditorium for various local public schools and production companies with a capacity of 350 people.
Upon graduation from Ridley, graduates become entitled to use the post-nominal letters
“O.R.” (“Old Ridleian”).
window is unique, bearing such non-traditional imagery as Ridley football
helmets, but also more conventional Christian imagery. The Chapel is equipped with a sound system, a new Yamaha grand piano and 2 pipe organs. The Ridley Pipe Organ is a Casavant Freres Opus 1099. It had a second manual keyboard added later in its life. The pipes for this added organ are located at the back of the Chapel, while the original four sets (great, choir, swell and pedal) are at the front. The Lower School chapel service includes at least one musical performance each Friday.
There are various facilities located within the Campus including Ridley's 'Second Century Building' and the 'The Iggulden Gym'. Ridley College employs WiFi networks within all facilities for extensive daily usage. Class sizes vary between 8 to 20 students per class. Students graduate to universities in Canada, the United States, and the UK.
In 2004 the school adapted to the 4 year programme of the Ontario Academic Curriculum but it continues to offer a fifth, “PG” (“post-graduate”) year. Also Ridley is a test administration site for the SSAT, SAT, and ACT.
Ridley College is accredited to the Canadian Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) and the Canadian Educational Standards Institute
(CESI) under the Ridley College Board of Governors.
As a private, University-preparatory school
, Ridley College is neither associated with nor accountable to any local school board.
Ridley College alumni pursue post-secondary degrees at top Canadian universities, including the University of Toronto
, McGill University
, Queen's University
, the University of Western Ontario
, McMaster University
, Dalhousie University
and the University of Waterloo
(among the Group of Thirteen
). Recent U.S. and English university matriculants' destination schools include Harvard University
, Yale University
, Spelman College
, Princeton University
, Cornell University
, Georgetown University
, Oxford University, Cambridge University, Durham University
, St. Andrew's University
, the London School of Economics
, Imperial College, University of London
, University of Edinburgh
and Newcastle University
motto
is Terar Dum Prosim, roughly translated as "May I Be Consumed In Service". The School uniform is known as ‘blues and greys’. The School Colo[u]rs are orange and black, and the School mascot
is the Tiger
(known as ‘Hank’), which has been depicted in a sculpture in front of School House.
One of Ridley's most notable traditions is the 'Snake Dance,' a school spirit-building celebration to inaugurate the fall sports season. Other traditions include an annual Cross-Country Run, intramural competition among dormitory residences for the Bradley Shield (girls') and Bermuda Cup (boys') trophies, the Chimes Challenge (a sprinting contest held during the midday chimes of the clock tower) and the annual Prize Day that concludes the school year, which is divided into three trimesters, known as the 'Michaelmas
', 'Lent
' and 'Trinity
' terms. North American students typically return to their families during School holidays, and often international students who choose not to return to their home countries (or are unable to due to time constraints) are billeted with Ridley families.
The School comprises a Lower School (Junior Kindergarten to grade 8, formerly the Middle School) and an Upper School (grades 9-12 and PG). Essential to School life is the Ridley residence system (see House system), in which both boarders and day students participate, supervised by Housemasters who are also members of the School's faculty and reside within the residences. The residences are named for prominent alumni.
The School has dining halls for both the Lower and Upper Schools. After school, intramural and inter-School sports fixtures are held as well as various non-sport activities.
Often, alumni choose to have their weddings and baptisms take place in the Ridley College Chapel. The School faculty includes a full-time Chaplain, who also has academic duties.
Social discipline in the residential setting is based on the demerit
system, and accumulations of demerits lead to the imposition of 'gatings', during which students are prohibited from leaving the campus and must 'check in' with the Master on Duty each half-hour, on the half-hour, when not engaged in classroom work or taking meals.
In 1981, the National Film Board of Canada
released the documentary film Ridley: A Secret Garden about the School.
In 2000, the book Ridley: A Canadian School, by Richard Bradley and Paul Lewis, was published, also about the School.
Ridley's mascot, Hank, is depicted in a sculpture by artist Hugh Russel a Ridley Old Boy.
On Thursday, May 19, 2011, headmaster Jonathan Leigh announced his retirement, effective the end of the 2011-2012 school year.
team, which competes in the highly competitive Midwest Prep Hockey League
. The boys basketball
has continued to be a strong program at Ridley, winning numerous Canadian Independent Schools Championships in the last few years. The varsity boys rugby
program went through a rebirth during the recent years, hosting the Canadian Independent School championships and medalling out of 15 teams, as well as ending up with a second place finish in the CISAA rugby finals. One of Ridley's most renowned athletics programs comprises its strong rowing
traditions. Ridley has won the UK Royal Henley Regatta's prestigious Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup
four times, the most of any Canadian boarding school and has trained numerous Canadian Olympic rowers. Girls' sports include, but are not limited to, rugby
, introduced in 2002; field hockey
, volleyball
, soccer, and hockey.
The Ridley College Tiger Swim Team has dominated in several categories in the All-Ontario (OFSSA) Championships. Their powerful Men's Team won the overall championship in 2006 over almost 300 other private and public Ontario schools. Their Women's Relay Team set successive back-to-back All-Ontario records in 2004 and 2005. The 2008 swim team dominated in all areas, from regional to provincial, breaking decade-old records.
. Each year, all students, as cadets
are required to parade
in an inspection by a visiting Canadian or Commonwealth
Inspecting Officer
. Many Ridley Cadets down through the School's history have proceeded to distinguish themselves among Canada's Officer
Corps. Ridley College is one of the two Cadet Corps in Canada that still continue to issue officer ranks
to students within the corps. The Ridley College Cadet Corps numbered 162 remains the largest cadet corps in Canada
. Ridley participated in its 104th Annual Cadet Inspection in May, 2011. The Inspecting Officer was Brigadier General
Terry Leversedge. The Cadet Commanding Officer
was Gianni Bahadoorsingh, the Cadet Second in Command was Olivia Park, the Cadet Battalion Adjutant
was Erin O'Rourke. The current Commanding Officer
is Canadian Forces Captain
Paul Filion, of the Cadet Instructor Cadre Branch
.
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
and day university-preparatory school
University-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
located in St. Catharines, Ontario
St. Catharines, Ontario
St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in Ontario, Canada, with 97.11 square kilometres of land...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, 20 miles (32 km) from Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
. The school confers the Ontario Secondary School Diploma
Ontario Secondary School Diploma
The Ontario Secondary School Diploma is a diploma granted to high school graduates in the province of Ontario.-Diploma requirements:The Ontario Academic Credit system applies to students from Grades 9 through 12...
as well as the Advanced Placement and will begin offering the International Baccalaureate curricula Diploma Programme in September 2012. Originally established as an Anglican-affiliated all-boys school in 1889, Ridley became coeducational in 1973.
History
Established in 1889, the school was founded by a group of Anglican clergymen intending to provide boys in Ontario with an education that emphasized strong academic and religious values. Named after Bishop Nicholas RidleyNicholas Ridley (martyr)
Nicholas Ridley was an English Bishop of London. Ridley was burned at the stake, as one of the Oxford Martyrs, during the Marian Persecutions, for his teachings and his support of Lady Jane Grey...
, a 16th century churchman in England martyred during the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, the school was originally known as Bishop Ridley College. The school's first campus, known as the Springbank campus, was integrated into the then-recently closed hotel of the same name constructed in 1864 by Dr. Theophilus Mack on Yates Street in St. Catharines. In 1903, the Springbank campus was destroyed as a result of a fire. The school was rebuilt on the site of its current campus, the address and street name of which soon became known as Ridley Road. The cornerstone of the Upper School building was laid in 1904. The first dormitory, Dean's House, was built in 1907.
The school experienced rapid expansion in respect to the campus for approximately the next three decades, including the building of academic and athletic facilities, and the Memorial Chapel, dedicated to Ridleians who lost their lives in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Ferdinand Herbert Marani (architect), of Mariani & Paisley designed several buildings at the College: The Lower School (1926-27); residence for H.G. Williams, Headmaster (1929); Schmon Infirmary (1949) and Memorial Great Hall (1949).
Lower School
The Lower School (formerly, Middle School) is located across the campus from the Upper School and the Chapel. The Lower School has a JK/SK class, one Grade 1, one Grade 2 class, one Grade 3, on Grade 4 class, one Grade 5 class, one Grade 6 class, two Grade 7 classes and two Grade 8 classes. The Lower School has a design shop; an art room; grades JK-8 homerooms, in which English and math are taught; a resource centre; and, a boys' and girls' residence. The typical Lower School class has 10-20 children. Lower School also organizes a 'Student Council'.Upper School
Upon graduation from Ridley, graduates become entitled to use the post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles or designatory letters, are letters placed after the name of a person to indicate that the individual holds a position, educational degree, accreditation, office, or honour. An individual may use several different sets of...
“O.R.” (“Old Ridleian”).
The Memorial Chapel
The Bishop Ridley College Memorial Chapel was built during the 1920s, dedicated to the memory of those Ridleians who died in World War I. The chapel was enlarged during the 1960s. Each stained glassStained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
window is unique, bearing such non-traditional imagery as Ridley football
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
helmets, but also more conventional Christian imagery. The Chapel is equipped with a sound system, a new Yamaha grand piano and 2 pipe organs. The Ridley Pipe Organ is a Casavant Freres Opus 1099. It had a second manual keyboard added later in its life. The pipes for this added organ are located at the back of the Chapel, while the original four sets (great, choir, swell and pedal) are at the front. The Lower School chapel service includes at least one musical performance each Friday.
Academics
Ridley enrolls students from throughout Canada (including Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and the Maritimes), the United States, Latin America, Europe, the Caribbean, East Asia, and the Middle East.There are various facilities located within the Campus including Ridley's 'Second Century Building' and the 'The Iggulden Gym'. Ridley College employs WiFi networks within all facilities for extensive daily usage. Class sizes vary between 8 to 20 students per class. Students graduate to universities in Canada, the United States, and the UK.
In 2004 the school adapted to the 4 year programme of the Ontario Academic Curriculum but it continues to offer a fifth, “PG” (“post-graduate”) year. Also Ridley is a test administration site for the SSAT, SAT, and ACT.
Ridley College is accredited to the Canadian Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) and the Canadian Educational Standards Institute
Canadian Educational Standards Institute
The Canadian Educational Standards Institute or CESI is an organisation intended to provide accreditation and evaluation of Canadian independent schools wishing to use CESI standards and designation...
(CESI) under the Ridley College Board of Governors.
As a private, University-preparatory school
University-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
, Ridley College is neither associated with nor accountable to any local school board.
Ridley College alumni pursue post-secondary degrees at top Canadian universities, including the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
, Queen's University
Queen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
, the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
, McMaster University
McMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
, Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University is a public research university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The university comprises eleven faculties including Schulich School of Law and Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine. It also includes the faculties of architecture, planning and engineering located at...
and the University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...
(among the Group of Thirteen
Group of Thirteen (Canadian universities)
The U15 is a group of 15 leading research-intensive universities in Canada. The U15 was formed in 1991 as an informal biannual meeting of university executive heads, although the group has yet to incorporate. The U15's primary activity is in joint research programs. The chairmanship of the U15...
). Recent U.S. and English university matriculants' destination schools include Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, Spelman College
Spelman College
Spelman College is a four-year liberal arts women's college located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The college is part of the Atlanta University Center academic consortium in Atlanta. Founded in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, Spelman was the first historically black female...
, Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, Oxford University, Cambridge University, Durham University
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
, St. Andrew's University
St. Andrew's University
, also known as St Andrew's University, is a private, coeducational university located in Izumi, Osaka, Japan.- Faculties :The university has faculties in International studies, Liberal Arts, Sociology, Economics, Business and Administration, of Law...
, the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, Imperial College, University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
and Newcastle University
School motto and colours
The School's LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
is Terar Dum Prosim, roughly translated as "May I Be Consumed In Service". The School uniform is known as ‘blues and greys’. The School Colo[u]rs are orange and black, and the School mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
is the Tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
(known as ‘Hank’), which has been depicted in a sculpture in front of School House.
School Life
Ridley's School Life philosophy could be said to embrace four essential qualities: academics, athletics, citizenship, and faith.One of Ridley's most notable traditions is the 'Snake Dance,' a school spirit-building celebration to inaugurate the fall sports season. Other traditions include an annual Cross-Country Run, intramural competition among dormitory residences for the Bradley Shield (girls') and Bermuda Cup (boys') trophies, the Chimes Challenge (a sprinting contest held during the midday chimes of the clock tower) and the annual Prize Day that concludes the school year, which is divided into three trimesters, known as the 'Michaelmas
Michaelmas
Michaelmas, the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel is a day in the Western Christian calendar which occurs on 29 September...
', 'Lent
Lent
In the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and...
' and 'Trinity
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
' terms. North American students typically return to their families during School holidays, and often international students who choose not to return to their home countries (or are unable to due to time constraints) are billeted with Ridley families.
The School comprises a Lower School (Junior Kindergarten to grade 8, formerly the Middle School) and an Upper School (grades 9-12 and PG). Essential to School life is the Ridley residence system (see House system), in which both boarders and day students participate, supervised by Housemasters who are also members of the School's faculty and reside within the residences. The residences are named for prominent alumni.
The School has dining halls for both the Lower and Upper Schools. After school, intramural and inter-School sports fixtures are held as well as various non-sport activities.
Often, alumni choose to have their weddings and baptisms take place in the Ridley College Chapel. The School faculty includes a full-time Chaplain, who also has academic duties.
Social discipline in the residential setting is based on the demerit
Demerit
Demerit may refer to:* Demerit point, in driving* Demerit good, in economics* Brownie point, in railroading...
system, and accumulations of demerits lead to the imposition of 'gatings', during which students are prohibited from leaving the campus and must 'check in' with the Master on Duty each half-hour, on the half-hour, when not engaged in classroom work or taking meals.
In 1981, the National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
released the documentary film Ridley: A Secret Garden about the School.
In 2000, the book Ridley: A Canadian School, by Richard Bradley and Paul Lewis, was published, also about the School.
Ridley's mascot, Hank, is depicted in a sculpture by artist Hugh Russel a Ridley Old Boy.
On Thursday, May 19, 2011, headmaster Jonathan Leigh announced his retirement, effective the end of the 2011-2012 school year.
Athletics
The school has several competitive athletics teams, including the boys soccer team, Canadian Independent Schools National Champions in 2003, and the boys ice hockeyIce hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team, which competes in the highly competitive Midwest Prep Hockey League
Midwest Prep Hockey League
The Midwest Prep Hockey League is a prep school ice hockey league in the United States. The Midwest Prep League was founded in 2000; the original six league members were Culver Academies , Gilmour Academy , Lake Forest Academy , Park Tudor School , Shady Side Academy and St. Francis High School...
. The boys basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
has continued to be a strong program at Ridley, winning numerous Canadian Independent Schools Championships in the last few years. The varsity boys rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
program went through a rebirth during the recent years, hosting the Canadian Independent School championships and medalling out of 15 teams, as well as ending up with a second place finish in the CISAA rugby finals. One of Ridley's most renowned athletics programs comprises its strong rowing
Sport rowing
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
traditions. Ridley has won the UK Royal Henley Regatta's prestigious Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup
Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup
The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup is a rowing event at Henley Royal Regatta open to school 1st VIIIs.-History:The event was instituted in 1946 for public schools in the United Kingdom...
four times, the most of any Canadian boarding school and has trained numerous Canadian Olympic rowers. Girls' sports include, but are not limited to, rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
, introduced in 2002; field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, soccer, and hockey.
The Ridley College Tiger Swim Team has dominated in several categories in the All-Ontario (OFSSA) Championships. Their powerful Men's Team won the overall championship in 2006 over almost 300 other private and public Ontario schools. Their Women's Relay Team set successive back-to-back All-Ontario records in 2004 and 2005. The 2008 swim team dominated in all areas, from regional to provincial, breaking decade-old records.
Cadet Corps
The School maintains a well-established tradition of mandatory service in the Royal Canadian Army CadetsRoyal Canadian Army Cadets
The Royal Canadian Army Cadets is a Canadian national youth program sponsored by the Canadian Forces and the civilian Army Cadet League of Canada. Administered by the Canadian Forces, the program is funded through the Department of National Defence with the civilian partner providing support in...
. Each year, all students, as cadets
Canadian Cadet Movement
The Canadian Cadet Organizations, marketed under the term Cadets Canada, are youth cadet programs known as the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets, Army Cadets, and Air Cadets...
are required to parade
Parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
in an inspection by a visiting Canadian or Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
Inspecting Officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
. Many Ridley Cadets down through the School's history have proceeded to distinguish themselves among Canada's Officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
Corps. Ridley College is one of the two Cadet Corps in Canada that still continue to issue officer ranks
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
to students within the corps. The Ridley College Cadet Corps numbered 162 remains the largest cadet corps in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Ridley participated in its 104th Annual Cadet Inspection in May, 2011. The Inspecting Officer was Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Terry Leversedge. The Cadet Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
was Gianni Bahadoorsingh, the Cadet Second in Command was Olivia Park, the Cadet Battalion Adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
was Erin O'Rourke. The current Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
is Canadian Forces Captain
Captain (OF-2)
The army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery...
Paul Filion, of the Cadet Instructor Cadre Branch
Cadet Instructors Cadre
The Cadet Instructors Cadre Branch consists of approximately 7,500 Canadian Forces officers whose primary duty is the safety, supervision, administration and training of Royal Canadian Sea, Army, and Air cadets...
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Notable alumni
- Frederick Walker Baldwin, Aviation Engineer, first Canadian (and third North American after the Wright Brothers) to pilot aircraft
- Richard M. IveyRichard M. IveyRichard Macaulay Ivey, is a Canadian lawyer and philanthropist.Born in London, Ontario, he attended Ridley College in St. Catharines, Ontario, and received a Honours Business Administration degree from the University of Western Ontario in 1947...
CC, Canadian lawyer and philanthropist, namesake of the Richard Ivey School of BusinessRichard Ivey School of BusinessThe Richard Ivey School of Business is located on the University of Western Ontario campus in London, Ontario, Canada, and is consistently rated as the top business school in Canada. It is offered, along with a range of other programs, by the University of Western Ontario, but is managed separately...
and Companion of the Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
. - Henry Allen John, 8th Earl BathurstHenry Bathurst, 8th Earl BathurstHenry Allen John, 8th Earl Bathurst DL , known as Lord Apsley from 1942 to 1943, was a British Peer, soldier and Conservative politician. He was most recently known for an altercation with Prince William....
- Sir John Irving BellJohn Irving BellSir John Irving Bell, FRS, PMedSci is a Canadian immunologist and geneticist who resides in the UK. As of 2008, he is President of the Academy of Medical Sciences and holds the Regius Chair of Medicine at Oxford University, UK....
, Regius Professor of Medicine, Oxford University, Rhodes Scholar, Founder of the Wellcome Trust Center for Human Genetics - James CoyneJames CoyneJames Elliott Coyne, BCL, BA was the second Governor of the Bank of Canada, from 1955 to 1961, succeeding Graham Towers. During his time in office, he had a much-publicized debate with Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, a debate often referred to as the "Coyne Affair" .-Life and career:Coyne was...
, Rhodes Scholar, Governor of the Bank of Canada - Hume CronynHume CronynHume Blake Cronyn, OC was a Canadian actor of stage and screen, who enjoyed a long career, often appearing professionally alongside his second wife, Jessica Tandy.-Early life:...
, descendent of the Labatt brewery family, film and stage actor, AMPAS ("Oscar") nominee for The Seventh CrossThe Seventh CrossAnna Seghers' novel The Seventh Cross , is one of the better-known examples of German literature circa World War II. It was published first in America, in an abridged version, in September 1942 by Little, Brown and Company...
, Tony AwardTony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
winner as PoloniusPoloniusPolonius is a character in William Shakespeare's Hamlet. He is King Claudius's chief counsellor, and the father of Ophelia and Laertes. Polonius connives with Claudius to spy on Hamlet...
opposite Richard Burton's HamletRichard Burton's HamletRichard Burton’s Hamlet is a common name for both the Broadway production of William Shakespeare's tragedy that played from April 9 through August 8 of 1964 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, and for the filmed record of it that has been released theatrically and on home video.-Background:The production...
, appeared in Cleopatra, 12 Angry Men12 Angry Men (1997 film)12 Angry Men is a 1997 television film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the Reginald Rose teleplay of the same title.-Plot:After the final closing arguments have been presented to the judge, she gives her instructions to the jury. In the United States , the verdict in criminal cases must...
, The Pelican BriefThe Pelican BriefThe Pelican Brief is a legal-suspense thriller written by John Grisham in 1992. The hardcover edition was published by Doubleday in that same year. Two paperback editions were published, both by Dell Publishing in 1993...
. Invested Officer of the Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, 1988. - Robert George Brian Dickson, PC, CC, CD, LL.B, LL.D, Chief Justice of CanadaChief Justice of CanadaThe Chief Justice of Canada, like the eight puisne Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada, is appointed by the Governor-in-Council . All nine are chosen from either sitting judges or barristers who have at least ten years' standing at the bar of a province or territory...
, Companion of the Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit... - Jason Dorland, former Olympic rower
- David A. DodgeDavid A. DodgeDavid A. Dodge, OC, FRSC is a Canadian economist. He served a seven-year term as Governor of the Bank of Canada from February 1, 2001 to January 31, 2008. He was succeeded by Mark Carney. On September 12, 2008 he joined Bennett Jones LLP, a leading Canadian law firm, as a senior advisor in their...
, Former Governor of the Bank of CanadaBank of CanadaThe Bank of Canada is Canada's central bank and "lender of last resort". The Bank was created by an Act of Parliament on July 3, 1934 as a privately owned corporation. In 1938, the Bank became a Crown corporation belonging to the Government of Canada...
. - Colm FeoreColm FeoreColm Feore is an American-born Canadian stage, film and television actor.-Early life:Feore was born in Boston, Massachusetts to Irish parents who lived in Ireland for several years during Feore's early life. The family subsequently moved to Windsor, Ontario, where Feore grew up.After graduating...
, filmFilmA film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and stageStage (theatre)In theatre or performance arts, the stage is a designated space for the performance productions. The stage serves as a space for actors or performers and a focal point for the members of the audience...
actorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, TrudeauTrudeau (film)Trudeau is a 2002 television miniseries dramatizing the life of former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. It aired on CBC Television and was written by Wayne Grigsby and directed by Jerry Ciccoritti....
; Pearl HarborPearl Harbor (film)Pearl Harbor is a 2001 American action drama war film directed by Michael Bay and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Randall Wallace, who wrote the screenplay...
; The Sum of All FearsThe Sum of All Fears (film)The Sum of All Fears is a 2002 American action film/political thriller directed by Phil Alden Robinson and based on the novel The Sum of All Fears by Tom Clancy...
; The InsiderThe Insider (film)The Insider is a 1999 film based on the true story of a 60 Minutes television series segment, as seen through the eyes of a real tobacco executive, Jeffrey Wigand. The 60 Minutes story originally aired in November 1995 in an altered form because of objections by CBS’ then-owner, Laurence Tisch, who... - Martha Finn, daughter of Thomas D'Arcy Finn, first Director of the Canadian Security Intelligence ServiceCanadian Security Intelligence ServiceThe Canadian Security Intelligence Service is Canada's national intelligence service. It is responsible for collecting, analyzing, reporting and disseminating intelligence on threats to Canada's national security, and conducting operations, covert and overt, within Canada and abroad.Its...
(CSIS) - Malcolm L. Gosling, descendent of the family business, Gosling Brothers, a leader in the wines and spirits industry. Served as a pilot officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force.
- James K. GrayJames K. GrayJames Kenneth Gray was born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario in 1933. He came to Calgary in 1956 to pursue a career in Alberta's energy sector. In 1973, he co-founded Canadian Hunter Exploration, an organization that became one of Canada's largest and most successful natural gas companies."Gray has...
, Co-Founder, Canadian Hunter Exploration, sold to Burlington Resources for $3.4 billion, Director of Brascan Corp., Canadian National Railways, Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit... - Peter GzowskiPeter GzowskiPeter Gzowski, was a Canadian broadcaster, writer and reporter, most famous for his work on the CBC radio show Morningside. His first biographer argued that Gzowski's contribution to Canadian media must be considered in the context of efforts by a generation of Canadian nationalists to understand...
, journalist and author, MorningsideMorningside (radio program)Morningside was a nationally broadcast Canadian radio program, which aired on CBC Radio from September 20, 1976 to May 30, 1997. It was broadcast from 9AM to 12 Noon, Monday to Friday...
; The Private Voice, A Journal of Reflections. - Josie HoJosie HoJosephine "Josie" Ho Chiu-Yi is a daughter of Macao casino magnate Stanley Ho, and a singer and actress from Hong Kong.-Movie career:She was involved in numerous movies, TV commercials, TV dramas, and singing performances....
, Hong KongHong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
actress, daughter of Macau billionaire, Stanley HoStanley HoStanley Ho, GBM, GLM, GBS, GML, OBE , also known as Ho Hung Sun, Stanley Ho Hung Sun, is an entrepreneur in Hong Kong and Macau. Ho is sometimes nicknamed "The King of Gambling", reflecting the government-granted monopoly he held of the Macau gambling industry for 40 years... - David L. HumphreysDavid L. HumphreysDavid L. Humphreys is a Canadian journalist, writer, lobbyist, and consultant.-Biography:Humphreys was born in Kingston, Ontario. Following his birth, he moved with his family to Alberta. He was educated at Ridley College in St. Catharines, Ontario, and at St. John's College in Winnipeg...
, biographer of former Canadian Prime Minister Joe Clark - Sam Irwin, Businessman, Founder and CEO of Irwin Toy, Ltd
- Arthur Courtney Kingstone, Ontario Supreme Court Justice
- Raine MaidaRaine MaidaRaine Maida , is a Canadian musician best known as being the lead vocalist and primary songwriter of the alternative rock band Our Lady Peace. He has come to be known for his unique countertenor nasal falsetto singing voice, as well as his cryptic and poetry-influenced song lyrics...
, lead singer of Our Lady PeaceOur Lady PeaceOur Lady Peace is a Canadian alternative rock band that formed in Toronto, Ontario in 1992. Headed by lead vocalist Raine Maida since its formation, the band additionally consists of Jeremy Taggart on percussion, Duncan Coutts on bass, and Steve Mazur as lead guitarist...
(he did not graduate from Ridley) - Samantha McGlone, Canadian triathlete* Bruce H. Mitchell, CEO, Permian Industries, Board of Directors, Bank of Montreal
- Darcy McKeoughDarcy McKeoughWilliam Darcy McKeough, is a Canadian businessman and former politician. He is a member of the board of Hydro One and is chairman of McKeough Investments and McKeough Supply, and former CEO of Union Gas....
, Former CEO of Union Gas and Former Treasurer of the Province of Ontario, appointed Officer of the Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit... - Thomas Merritt, grandson of Thomas Rodman MerrittThomas Rodman MerrittThomas Rodman Merritt was an Ontario businessman and political figure in Upper Canada. He represented Lincoln in the Canadian House of Commons as a Liberal member from 1868 to 1874....
, United Empire Loyalist, President of the Ridley College Association - Michael SabiaMichael SabiaMichael John Sabia, is a Canadian businessman. He is the current CEO of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. Sabia formerly served as CEO of Bell Canada from 2002 through 2008.-Personal life:...
, President and CEO, Caisse de dépôt, Quebec - C. Ross "Sandy" SomervilleRoss SomervilleCharles Ross "Sandy" Somerville was a Canadian golfer and all-around athlete.Somerville was born in London, Ontario. He won six Canadian Amateur Championship golf titles between 1926 and 1937, and in 1932 became the first Canadian to win the U.S. Amateur...
named "Golfer of the half century" by the Canadian Press, 1950 - Richard B. WrightRichard B. WrightRichard B. Wright, CM, is a Canadian novelist.Born in Midland, Ontario, to Laverne and Laura . Wright graduated from Midland high school in 1956, and attended and graduated from Ryerson Polytechnic Institute in the area of Radio and TV arts in 1959...
, former faculty member, author of 11 novels, Giller Prize, Trillium Book Prize, recipient of the Governor General's Award, appointed Officer of the Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit... - Humphrey Hume Wrong, Canadian diplomat, served as Canada's Ambassador to United States, succeeding Lester B. Pearson. Notable for his early involvement in negotiating the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Named undersecretary to NATO, but died before taking up the post
- Sophie Kallinis LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis, owners and stars of DC CupcakesDC CupcakesDC Cupcakes is an American reality television series that follows sisters and business partners Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis as they run Georgetown Cupcake, a small cupcakery located in Washington, D.C....
reality show. - Bruce Croxon, 'Dragon' on CBC's Dragons' DenDragons' DenDragons' Den is a series of reality television programmes featuring entrepreneurs pitching their business ideas in order to secure investment finance from a panel of venture capitalists. The show originated in Japan as "Manē no Tora"...
, entrepreneur and co-founder of online dating website LavalifeLavalifeLavalife is an online dating service.-History:Lavalife began as a basement operation in 1987 by two Toronto entrepreneurs: David Chamandy and Ed Lum...
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