Balmoral Hall School Reviews

Balmoral Hall is one of those schools that perhaps doesn’t command as significant a profile in the world of private education in Canada, but it should. Established in 1901, it’s seen a few changes along the way, including moves and name changes—it was founded as Havergal College, then later known as Rupert's Land College—as well as amalgamation with the Riverbend School. It’s long been an expression of the civic community, demonstrated by the endowments it’s received through the years. The current campus reflects that; the site was bequeathed to the school by Sir James Aitken, and Aitken house remains in use there today.  More recently, through a significant capital campaign, the school opened Benidickson Centre for Arts & Design. Throughout its life, Balmoral Hall has offered a window onto a wider world, offering innovative programs, and developing its own set of best practices, all of which are in ample evidence today. The boarding program, too, offers an added layer to the student experience, both for day students and those living on site. Instruction is student-centred, hands-on, including a robust internship program to provide real-world experience tailored to students’ interests. Indeed, a primary goal is to allow girls to follow and capitalize on their interests, and the list of alumnae hints at that, given its breadth. Included is senator Patricia Bovey, journalist Ashleigh Banfield, and hockey player Taylor Woods (who, as a member of the Balmoral Hall Blazers, set a number of team records that still stand today). The arts are represented, too, most obviously in Loreena McKennitt and Chantal Kreviazuk, both of whom are alumnae. In so many ways, the school has been doing great work for more than a century.