The Road Well Kept: Branksome Hall Celebrates 100 Years

Lyn Clark is an assistant editor at the Canadian Book Review Annual.

The guiding principle of Branksome Hall, an independent school for
girls, has always been to challenge orthodoxy, to be a living,
ever-evolving organism. In 1903, the school’s founder, Miss Margaret
Scott, altered the traditional curriculum by adding Scripture. One
hundred years later, the school is implementing the International
Baccalaureate Programme, which will offer an alternative to the Ontario
high-school diploma.

Using anecdotes from alumnae, staff and student diaries, letters, and
interviews, and her own research into Branksome’s archives and other
historical sources, Heather Robertson has created a fascinating and
readable story that captures and holds the reader’s attention. A
prevalent theme is the school’s aim to build character and instil
ethical behavior in its students. There is no doubting the singular
character of each of the seven strong-willed principals who guided the
school through a dynamic century. Each had her halo and her warts, her
strengths and her weaknesses. For educators, historians, feminists, and
sociologists wishing to use the book as a resource, a table of contents
and a bibliography would have been useful. However, the notes for each
chapter include references and narratives that are as interesting and
amusing as the main text.