Trafalgar School for Girls (abbreviated as Traf) is an all-girls

independent school A private school or independent school is a school not administered or funded by the government, unlike a State school, public school. Private schools are schools that are not dependent upon national or local government to finance their fina ...

located in

Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

. The school serves students at Secondary I – V levels, i.e. ages 11–12 to 16–17. The total enrollment is 200, the student-teacher ratio is 8:1, and the average class size is a range from 10 to 20. The current Head of School is Katherine Nikidis.

Background

The site is within the

Golden Square Mile The Golden Square Mile (, ), also known as the Square Mile, is the nostalgic name given to an urban neighbourhood developed principally between 1850 and 1930 at the foot of Mount Royal, in the west-central section of downtown Montreal in Quebec, Ca ...

, which was the richest neighbourhood in Canada when the school opened in 1887. The idea came from a wealthy merchant named Donald Ross. The institute received funds from Anne Scott and

Donald Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal Donald Alexander Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal, (6 August 182021 January 1914), known as Sir Donald A. Smith between May 1886 and August 1897, was a Scottish-born Canadian businessman who became one of the British Empire's for ...

, as well as other prominent residents of Montreal. The school's curriculum was designed to prepare girls for higher education, although only a small minority actually went to university. The

Montreal Hoshuko School The Montreal Hoshuko School (, Japanese: モントリオール日本語補習校 ''Montoriōru Nihongo Hoshūkō'') is a Japanese supplementary weekend school in Montreal, Quebec. The members of the Montreal ''Shōkōkai'' (モントリオール� ...

, a weekend Japanese school, rents classroom space there. Trafalgar announced the sale of its Simpson St. building in 2019. In September 2020, it was announced that Trafalgar and McGill University would be partnering on the CoLab, which will integrate teacher training, classroom practice and research in one place. Trafalgar will be situated at Purvis Hall at the corner of Peel Street and Pine Avenue, close to the McGill campus.

Notable alumna

Christine Ayoub Christine Sykes Williams Ayoub (1922–2024) was a Canadian and American mathematician specializing in commutative algebra and a professor of mathematics at Pennsylvania State University. A Quaker and descendant of Quakers, she also edited a boo ...

, mathematician * Nora Collyer, painter *

Caryl Churchill Caryl Lesley Churchill (born 3 September 1938) is a British playwright known for dramatising the abuses of power, for her use of non- naturalistic techniques, and for her exploration of sexual politics and feminist themes.

, playwright *

Jessalyn Gilsig Jessalyn Sarah Gilsig (born November 30, 1971) is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her roles as Meredith Gordon in ''Heroes (American TV series), Heroes'', Kayley in ''Quest for Camelot'', Lauren Davis in ''Boston Public'', Gina Russo in ...

, actress * Vivien Law, linguist and academic *

Carolyn Taylor Carolyn Taylor is a Canadian actress and comedian, best known as one of the creators and stars of the sketch comedy series '' Baroness von Sketch Show''. An alumna of The Second City's Toronto company, she was a writer for '' This Hour Has 22 Min ...

, writer actor and comedian *

Cairine Wilson Cairine Reay Mackay Wilson (February 4, 1885 – March 3, 1962) was Canada's first woman to become senator. She served as a Senator for Ontario from 1930 until her death. Personal life Cairine Reay Mackay was born in Montreal on February 4, ...

, politician * Rhona and Rhoda Wurtele, Olympic skiers

References

External links

Trafalgar School for Girls
{{Authority control Educational institutions established in 1887 1887 establishments in Quebec Private schools in Quebec Girls' schools in Canada High schools in Montreal Downtown Montreal English-language schools in Quebec