Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Mount Saint Joseph Academy sous-fonds
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- Multiple media
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- Source of title proper: Title is based on the contents of the sous-fonds.
Level of description
Sous-fonds
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Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
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Date(s)
Physical description area
Physical description
1.23 m of textual records
ca. 342 photographs
4 photograph albums
8 sound recordings
1 school uniform
5 artifacts
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
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Archival description area
Name of creator
Administrative history
The Mount Saint Joseph Academy was a school for girls directed by the Sisters of St. Joseph from 1950 to 1985. It was initially located at Sacred Heart Convent with a mere six students. In 1953, it moved to the newly built Mount St. Joseph convent property, opening in the former Hellmuth Ladies' College and Mount St. Joseph Orphanage building. At this time, there were 26 students but by 1957, this number had grown to 105 students. At this time, 80 girls resided at the school and 25 were day students. In 1958, the Academy was moved to a newly completed wing in the new Mount St. Joseph Motherhouse building.
The mission of the Academy was to provide secondary education for girls in which the Catholic faith was integrated into the curriculum and school life. Students had the option of being day students if they lived in the area or boarders if they came from far away. Students came from across Canada and 10%-15% came from other countries including the West Indies, Mexico, and Hong Kong.
Music was always an important part of life at the Academy, perhaps due to the influence of the St. Joseph’s School of Music which was also run by the Sisters. Students who wished to learn to play musical instruments did so on their own time, usually through the School of Music. They could also volunteer to join the Glee Club, one of the choirs, or the choral group called the Academy Singers which was well-known in the area.
In addition to regular curriculum classes, students were required to sign up for an activity for their enrichment and cultural development. These activities included photography, driving school, typing, fencing, drama, ballet, horseback riding, charm class, scripture study, physical education, crafts, and home economics club.
The Academy closed in 1985, and the wing that it occupied became a guest wing for transplant patients, also run by the Sisters. It is estimated that over the course of 32 years, between 2,000 and 3,000 students received at least part of their high school education at the Academy.
Custodial history
Scope and content
The sous-fonds contains photographs, newspaper clippings, correspondence, programs, reports, and sound recordings of performances. It also contains information about students and teachers (both Sisters and lay teachers), award winners, and alumni. It has material about the administrative activities of the Academy, its history, including the opening, closing graduations and yearbooks, notable groups such as the Academy Singers, and correspondence with the Ministry of Education of Ontario. The sous-fonds also contains memorabilia saved by Sister Jean Moylan, a former student and teacher at the Academy, and Lee Anne Doyle, a former student at the Academy.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
The records were transferred from the school to the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada London site archives except for one series which was kept by a former teacher, Sister Jean Moylan and donated by her to the archives in 2013, and another series kept by a former student, Lee Anne Doyle, and donated by her to the archives in 2016.
Arrangement
Language of material
- English
Script of material
Location of originals
These records are located in the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada - London site archives.
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
F01-SF02-S001-06 [File] Correspondence - Re.: Students is restricted to the public.
F01-SF02-S004-02 [Item] 1983 proposal for the Establishment of a Community Health Institute is restricted to the public.
F01-SF02-S009 [Series] All records are restricted to the public.
F01-SF02-S010 [Series] All records are restricted to the public.
The Archives reserves the right to restrict access to the collection depending on the condition of the archival material, the amount of material requested, and the purpose of the research. The use of certain materials may also be restricted for reasons of privacy or sensitivity, or under a donor agreement. Access restrictions will be applied equally to all researchers and reviewed periodically. No researcher will be given access to any materials that contain a personal information bank such as donor agreements or personnel records, or to other proprietary information such as appraisals, insurance valuations, or condition reports.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Permission to study archival records does not extend to publication or display rights. The researcher must request this permission in writing from the Archives.
Finding aids
There is a series and file list available.
Generated finding aid
Associated materials
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
Alternative identifier(s)
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Standard number
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Rules or conventions
Status
Revised
Level of detail
Partial
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
June 6, 2016
May 29, 2019
July 2, 2020
August 24, 2021
Language of description
- English