Mount Royal College
Calgary’s Mount Royal College was named for a prestigious new residential area being built in the city at the time the College received its charter in 1910. With Methodist minister George William Kerby as its first principal, it opened its doors in 1911 on 7 Avenue and 11 Street SW, in downtown Calgary. The College offered primary and secondary education, with courses such as stenography, fine arts, household arts, and physical culture. In 1925, the College was named a secondary school under the United Church of Canada.
In 1931, under terms outlined by a Senate Committee, the College became affiliated with the University of Alberta. Enrolment in 1931 was 382 students, who now were able to take first-year courses for transfer to the University of Alberta. Considering the Depression, this affiliation was a boon for Calgary students who could save money by living at home while beginning their university programs.
In 1942, after 32 years at the College, George Kerby retired and Reverend Dr John Garden took over as principal. In 1944, the College began to offer engineering courses; these were popular with the veterans returning in 1945. The College continued to attract students, including adult education students in the evening, and it was forced to expand its facilities as it grew in popularity. The Kerby Memorial Building and the G.D. Stanley Gym were added in 1949. By 1961, Kerby Memorial had expanded even further to include a new wing with a canteen, snack bar, classrooms, science labs, and a student lounge.
By 1964, enrollment had again reached capacity, and the College lobbied for a new campus located at Lincoln Park. By 1972, the new campus had opened and Mount Royal relocated its main campus. However, satellite campuses remained important and were the focus of further restructuring in 1981 when the College re-emphasized its presence in the downtown core. A new residence and city centre campus opened in 1990.
In recent years, the College has continued to expand, as evidenced by the number of new campus sites that have sprung up across the city. By 1995, the College opened its third campus, the Centre for Complementary Health Education, on the site of the former Holy Cross Hospital. In 2002, Mount Royal Collge opened a new recreation facility and “East A” buildings, while in 2003, the “East B” buildings were opened to the Bissett School of Business. A new learning centre went into construction in 2005. The steady growth of Mount Royal College is reflected in its academic and athletic achievements over the years, including the men’s soccer team's winning its ninth consecutive Alberta College Athletic Conference title in 2000 and the women’s soccer's team winning its fifth consecutive title in 2001.
Today, the College’s affiliation with the University of Alberta means that students can take their first year or two at Mount Royal College and transfer to the University of Alberta to continue coursework in support of programs leading to Bachelor degrees in Arts, Commerce, Education, Engineering, Physical Education, Science, and Science - Computer Science. For students interested in a four-year Bachelor of Nursing degree program, the College, as of March 2007, is accredited to offer the entire university program.
For more information about Mount Royal College, visit its website.