Robertson College
Encyclopedia
Robertson College’s vision began in 1911 after founder M.I. Robertson decided to emigrate from Scotland
to live with her sister and brother-in-law in Saskatoon
, Saskatchewan
. In Edinburgh
, Scotland, Mrs. Robertson worked in the city hall
. It was thought that Mrs. Robertson was married and had a husband who had been a ship’s sea captain, but there is no proof of this as Mrs. Robertson never mentioned it. Back then it was not proper protocol to ask, or to speculate private matters. Nonetheless Mrs. Robertson came to Canada
with her young daughter.
When she arrived to Canada she lived in a small shack with her daughter, sister and brother-in-law near the railway. She and her sister then started a court reporting
business by the name of Dominion Stenographic Service. Part of her work was taking in “apprentice” based students, Mrs. Robertson, her sister and employers noticed the need and the quality of apprentices that they were putting forth. It was in 1919 that the judicial courts began to hire their own shorthand
stenographers; which helped evolve the business into a shorthand school.
It was noted in the 1921 Saskatoon Henderson Directory that Mrs. Robertson Began to advertise her business as Dominion Business College. In 1923 it was then advertised as the Robertson Shorthand and Secretarial School when her sister and husband moved to British Columbia
.
It is believed that Mrs. Robertson saw education
as a way to help young people, as she had the skills and tools to oversee this. Mrs. Robertson documents during one of the Saskatchewan Minimum Wage Board Meetings of the concern of young girls coming to the city seeking employment. Many employers were not willing to pay well, and many of these young girls were employed as waitresses, thus long hours. The girls needed a place to sleep, and therefore slept on the floors of their place of employment and sill had no money for winter clothing or basic sustenance
.
Mrs. Robertson stopped teaching in the school in 1942 where she handed off her role to Mrs. Lepine who later purchased the college. Mrs. Robertson died in 1958.
The school then evolved into the Saskatoon Robertson Career College, but closed its doors in 1990, as a result only leaving the Winnipeg
Campus which was started in around 1980 when Lynne Oliver purchased it. The school was then purchased by Don Thomas in 1985; who expanded the school curriculum and made major restructuring changes to Robertson Career College including expanding to different campus
es and programs in the Prairies
. In 1993, the college was rebranded to Robertson College.
In 2001, it was purchased by Midwestern School of Business and Technology in Winnipeg and has since become a multi-campus college. The College was moved from Portage Avenue in Winnipeg to the historic Exchange District
at 265 Notre Dame Avenue. The College shifted its focus to healthcare, business
and Information Technology
programs.
In 2004, Robertson College added an additional campus in Calgary, Alberta. The campus initially focused on training Pharmacy Technicians
and over the past few years has expanded its focus to business and health care. As well in 2004, the college started its first international partnership in China
. In China, the Live-In Caregiver
program is taught to help Chinese students immigrate to Canada. Since 2004, Robertson College has added other training partnerships in West Africa
and Mauritius
.
Recently, an online training division for Robertson College was created. In early 2009, the college saw that there was a need to offer online training to students who are not able to attend a traditional “bricks & mortar” setting. The Online Training Division, iRobertson College, provides students the opportunity to pursue their career
goals through distance and part-time education.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
to live with her sister and brother-in-law in Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
. In Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland, Mrs. Robertson worked in the city hall
City hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...
. It was thought that Mrs. Robertson was married and had a husband who had been a ship’s sea captain, but there is no proof of this as Mrs. Robertson never mentioned it. Back then it was not proper protocol to ask, or to speculate private matters. Nonetheless Mrs. Robertson came to 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...
with her young daughter.
When she arrived to Canada she lived in a small shack with her daughter, sister and brother-in-law near the railway. She and her sister then started a court reporting
Court reporter
A court reporter, stenotype reporter, voice writing reporter, or transcriber is a person whose occupation is to transcribe spoken or recorded speech into written form, using machine shorthand or voice writing equipment to produce official transcripts of court hearings, depositions and other...
business by the name of Dominion Stenographic Service. Part of her work was taking in “apprentice” based students, Mrs. Robertson, her sister and employers noticed the need and the quality of apprentices that they were putting forth. It was in 1919 that the judicial courts began to hire their own shorthand
Shorthand
Shorthand is an abbreviated symbolic writing method that increases speed or brevity of writing as compared to a normal method of writing a language. The process of writing in shorthand is called stenography, from the Greek stenos and graphē or graphie...
stenographers; which helped evolve the business into a shorthand school.
It was noted in the 1921 Saskatoon Henderson Directory that Mrs. Robertson Began to advertise her business as Dominion Business College. In 1923 it was then advertised as the Robertson Shorthand and Secretarial School when her sister and husband moved to British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.
It is believed that Mrs. Robertson saw education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
as a way to help young people, as she had the skills and tools to oversee this. Mrs. Robertson documents during one of the Saskatchewan Minimum Wage Board Meetings of the concern of young girls coming to the city seeking employment. Many employers were not willing to pay well, and many of these young girls were employed as waitresses, thus long hours. The girls needed a place to sleep, and therefore slept on the floors of their place of employment and sill had no money for winter clothing or basic sustenance
Sustenance
Sustenance can refer to any means of subsistence or livelihood within a region or a country;*food*any subsistence economy: see list of subsistence techniques**hunting-gathering**animal husbandry**subsistence agriculture...
.
Mrs. Robertson stopped teaching in the school in 1942 where she handed off her role to Mrs. Lepine who later purchased the college. Mrs. Robertson died in 1958.
The school then evolved into the Saskatoon Robertson Career College, but closed its doors in 1990, as a result only leaving the Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
Campus which was started in around 1980 when Lynne Oliver purchased it. The school was then purchased by Don Thomas in 1985; who expanded the school curriculum and made major restructuring changes to Robertson Career College including expanding to different campus
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
es and programs in the Prairies
Prairies (ecozone)
The Prairies Ecozone is a Canadian terrestrial ecozone which spans the southern areas of the Prairie provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. It is a productive agricultural area, and is commonly referred to as "Canada's breadbasket"...
. In 1993, the college was rebranded to Robertson College.
In 2001, it was purchased by Midwestern School of Business and Technology in Winnipeg and has since become a multi-campus college. The College was moved from Portage Avenue in Winnipeg to the historic Exchange District
Exchange District
The Exchange District is a National Historic Site of Canada in the downtown area of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Just one block north of Canada's most famous intersection, Portage and Main, the Exchange District comprises approximately twenty city blocks and nearly 150 buildings.- History :The...
at 265 Notre Dame Avenue. The College shifted its focus to healthcare, business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
and Information Technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
programs.
In 2004, Robertson College added an additional campus in Calgary, Alberta. The campus initially focused on training Pharmacy Technicians
Pharmacy technician
A pharmacy technician, also sometimes known as a pharmaceutical technician, is a health care worker who performs pharmacy related functions, generally working under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist or other health professional...
and over the past few years has expanded its focus to business and health care. As well in 2004, the college started its first international partnership in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. In China, the Live-In Caregiver
Live-In Caregiver
The Live-In Caregiver Program is offered and administered by the government of Canada and is the primary means by which foreign caregivers come to Canada as eldercare, special needs, and childcare providers....
program is taught to help Chinese students immigrate to Canada. Since 2004, Robertson College has added other training partnerships in West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
and Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
.
Recently, an online training division for Robertson College was created. In early 2009, the college saw that there was a need to offer online training to students who are not able to attend a traditional “bricks & mortar” setting. The Online Training Division, iRobertson College, provides students the opportunity to pursue their career
Career
Career is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as a person's "course or progress through life ". It is usually considered to pertain to remunerative work ....
goals through distance and part-time education.