
History & Milestones
Our strong university partnerships, scholarships, and leadership & character development reflect a tradition of excellence and a commitment to reaching higher.

1979
Columbia Secondary School?is founded in Hamilton as a?university prep and ESL school.

1979-1989
First on-campus residence opens – Oak Hall.
1988
Columbia moves from?West 25th?Street?to?Maple Campus at 1029 Main Street West?

1989
Sodexo Marriott?is contracted to serve the nutritional and dietary needs of Columbia¡¯s students .

1990 -1999
Bark Lake campus, a 283-hectare private lakefront property, opens for outdoor education and leadership training.
1991
Name changed to?Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» .
1995
Linden Hall Residence opens as a girls¡¯ boarding residence.
1996
Educational Alliance@ Hamilton?is formed with?McMaster University? and Mohawk College of Applied Arts & Technology. Pictured from left: Dr. Kieth McIntyre -President Mohawk College, Terry Cooke – Regional Chairman of the Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth, Clement Chan – President of Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³», Dr. Peter George- President McMaster University,
McMaster University??establishes?four annual entrance scholarships valued at?$3,000?for our university preparatory graduates .

1997
Bark Lake campus, a?283 hectare?private lakefront property, opens for outdoor education and leadership training.
1998
University Partners formed with Canadian and American universities.?
Additional?designated university entrance scholarships established?to?benefit?Columbia¡¯s university preparatory graduates.
1999
University of Canberra?, Australia, joins Columbia¡¯s University Partners and?establishes scholarships for our university preparatory graduates.

2000 ¨C 2009
The?11,200 square meter?Ainsliewood?Campus opens for academic programs.??
Pine Hall Residence opens as an?additional?boys¡¯ boarding residence
2000
The?11,200 square meter?Ainsliewood?Campus?opens for academic programs, bringing total campus size to just over?three hectares.
Maple Campus is?retained?as an ESL school.?
University of London School of Pharmacy joins Columbia¡¯s University Partners and?establishes?scholarships for our university preparatory graduates.?
2001
The?Student Caf¨¦, which includes a?Pizza?Pizza?franchise, opens its doors.?

2001
Pine Hall Residence?opens as an?additional?boys¡¯ boarding residence with:?
- Indoor swimming pool?
- Movie theatre?
- Outdoor tennis and basketball courts?
Wireless LAN and internet connectivity is provided in school and several residences.

2002
University of Alberta joins Columbia¡¯s University Partners and creates?entrance scholarships of $16,000/year for our university preparatory graduates.?
2004
University of Ontario Institute of Technology?joins Columbia¡¯s University Partners and?establishes designated scholarships for our university preparatory graduates.
2005
University of Alberta offers its?English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program to Columbia¡¯s university preparatory students.?
2006
University of Alberta?offers dual admission to Columbia¡¯s university preparatory applicants.?
2007
Brock, York, Cape?Breton?and D¡¯Youville offer dual admission to Columbia¡¯s university preparatory applicants and students.?
Cape Breton University?and?D¡¯Youville College join Columbia¡¯s University Partners providing our students with admission benefits.?
The?student development office is?established?to coordinate all extracurricular activities and residence life programs and maximize students¡¯ potential.?
2008
244 graduates accepted to McMaster University, many with scholarships.?
226 graduates accepted to University of Toronto, many with scholarships.?
136 graduates accepted to University of Waterloo, many with scholarships.?
2009
Additional?partnership agreement with?McMaster University?guarantees admission to all Columbia graduates who meet the admission requirements.?

2010 - 2019
Elite Pathway Partnership? Program with the University of Toronto.?
Columbia opens Pine Girls¡¯ Residence.
2010
Columbia¡¯s graduates receive over?$2,000,000 in scholarships.?
Columbia signs?additional?dual admission partnership agreements?with?University of Waterloo?s Mathematics and Science faculties, guaranteeing admission to all Columbia graduates who meet minimum entry requirements.?
2011
Columbia signs a partnership agreement with?Western University, providing students:?
- Three scholarships that are?$1000 more than published scholarships?
- Reduced or waived?TOEFL/IELTS requirements?for qualified students?
- 537 students graduate, our largest class to date?
2012
Columbia opens Pine Girls¡¯ Residence, which boasts:??
- Rooftop garden?
- Indoor track?
- Study areas, lounges, a wellness room?
- Over?360 beds?
Ainsliewood?Campus¡¯ South Wing?expansion is opened, featuring:?
- 18 classrooms?
- Group study room?
- Tutorial?centre?and media lab?
- Drama and music rooms?
- Science lab?
- New?student development office?

2013
The?University of Toronto, Mississauga campus?signs a partnership agreement with Columbia and announces?10 new scholarships-valued at $2,000 each-exclusively for Columbia graduates.?
2014
School expansion is complete, adding:?
- Two new?art rooms?
- A new?university placement office?and?guidance office.?
- A?university resource centre
- Campus safety office, new?front entrance, expanded?medical clinic, and?visitors¡¯ centre
University of Toronto expands their partnership to all three of its campuses.
Columbia celebrates its?35th anniversary.?

2015
3rd Academic Building: Cedar Opens.?
A 1930s building is renovated to provide students with modern teaching amenities.?
Includes an?ESL Centre?and?Junior Middle School.?

2016
Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³»?acquires?eSchool.?
Canada?eSchool?is a?private online high school accredited by the Ministry of Education in Ontario.
Grants?credits in over?100 online high school courses.?
Courses offer credits towards an?Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).?

2017
Elite Pathway Partnership? Program with the University of Toronto.?
Canada¡¯s #1 ranked university forms a partnership with Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» to offer a?two-year program for high performing students.?
This is the?first in the University of Toronto¡¯s history.?
The program is the?only officially recognized partnership program by the University of Toronto.?

2018
World-Renowned Meal Service: Chartwells.?
Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» partners with Chartwells to provide delicious and nutritious meals to over?1,800 students?and close to?600 staff members.?

2019
New & On-Going Partnerships with Our University Partners?.?
Eight new?designated University Entrance Scholarships?with?McMaster University of $5,000 each,?allocated?to Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» students.?
As a result, our?annual designated University Entrance Scholarship?now totals over?$160,000 CAD.?

2020
Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» launches the?Sure-To-University Program, an official partnership with?six major Canadian universities. Students who meet admission requirements are guaranteed reserved seats.

2021
The?English Academic Preparation (EAP) program is redesigned to better support the needs of ESL learners and ensure academic readiness.

2022
Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» is recognized as one of?only six schools worldwide?to have?participated?in the?Terry Fox Run for 40 consecutive years, raising a total of?$224,000 for cancer research.?
2022
Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» unveils?a?state-of-the-art?music facility, built in?honour?of beloved music teacher?Jim Lawis, enriching the school¡¯s commitment to arts education.?

2022
The?DECA Program?launches at Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³», giving students hands-on experience in business, marketing, and entrepreneurship.?


2023
Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» launches its?First Robotics Team, earning a spot at the?National Championships?and the?World Championships in Houston, Texas during its rookie year.
2023
Students embark on the school¡¯s?first-ever trip to Yukon, expanding experiential learning beyond the classroom.?

2024
Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³» celebrates its?45th anniversary, receiving?10 official letters of congratulations from university partners across Canada in recognition of its outstanding contributions to student success.?

2025
Total university scholarships awarded reaches a record-breaking $36,993,893 CAD, the highest in Âé¶¹´«Ã½Ó³»¡¯s 46-year history.?
