Our History

1954 – A financial campaign was started in hope of starting an all boys Catholic high school. The campaign raised $350,000 to build the original St. Mary’s College with seven classrooms, a gym, a cafeteria, and fourteen classrooms added by the Sault Ste. Marie Separate School Board.

1956 – St. Mary’s College started off on the top of St. Georges Avenue hill with 72 boys and 2 Basilian Priests; Father Matthew Mulcahy as principal and Father Pat Lalonde, but due to a strike they only had 2 classrooms to work out of. The students literally built the school by the end of the year and they took great pride in their work.

1957 – Grade ten was added in along with staff; Father Bob Whyte, Frank Lally, and Dave Levack. In 1960 the first grade 13 class graduated. The students represented our Catholic Community well and always with dignity, right from the very beginning. SMC’s identity was formed by Father Mucahy and some would say that the spirit we have today came from Father Pat Lalonde. By 1990 St. Mary’s College had a population of 1,350 co-ed students.

The 50s was a time to grow and make St. Mary’s College known. It started off with a basketball team and then other teams. Also the very first student council was formed consisting of a president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer.

1973 – The senior basketball team won city championships, NOSSA, and 2 games at the All Ontario Basketball Tournament in London, Ontario. In 1989 the basketball team made OFSSA quarterfinals with many championships.

For over 60 years, St. Mary’s College has shown the Catholic faith the Basilian Fathers wanted to see. St. Mary’s College also has many traditions and as more students keep coming to SMC more traditions will be made. SMC, has become one huge family; we have our differences and opinions, but we are all here to learn to the best of our abilities, help as many people that we can, and grow in our faith.