1837 - The Brother of the Christian Schools arrived in Montreal to found the first permanent community of De La Salle Brothers in North America

1851 - At the request of Bishop De Charbonnel, five Brothers came to Toronto to establish a grammar school at the corner of Lombard and Jarvis Streets

1871 - De La Salle Institute extended to include secondary classes and was relocated to what was then the Bank of Upper Canada. The building still stands at the corner of Adelaide and George Streets with the inscription “De La Salle Institute Erected A.D. 1871”

1880 - De La Salle Institute became De La Salle College as university entrance courses were added to the curriculum

1905 - The De La Salle Cadet Corps was formed

1910 - The De La Salle Band was formed with the sole purpose at the time to parade the Cadets

1914 - The College took a major step and relocated to 67 Bond Street right next to St. Michael’s Cathedral

1922 - The first issue of Delescope, now known as Oak Leaves (as of 1938), was printed and consisted of eight pages

1925 - The senior section of the College moved to what is now Our Lady of Perpetual Help School and became known as De La Salle Moore Park

1931 - Brother Alfred opened the new school, De La Salle “Oaklands” on the Avenue Road hill to 270 students at a tuition amount of $5 per month

1950 - After a great deal of effort on the part of the Brothers and the alumni, the present structure (Main Building-Senior School) was officially opened to 743 students

1953 - After an undefeated season, the Junior Football team played their very first football game on the brand new field of the De La Salle Stadium (Lower Campus). They beat St. Mike’s, winning the OCAC Championship

1967 - Grades Nine and Ten were placed under the auspices of the Metropolitan Separate School Board (MSSB) -today the Toronto Catholic School Board. Grades One through Eight remained private

1967 - The De La Salle Arena was officially opened in April, replacing the outdoor rink built in 1954. The Metro Chairman, William Allen, Mayor William Dennison, and the entire Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team, who would win the Stanley Cup later that year in May, were on hand for the grand opening

1987 - The entire high school was under the direction of MSSB, now the TCDSB

1989 - The De La Salle Centre was opened to facilitate class retreats for students attending Catholic schools in the Toronto area. The Centre is now home to the Junior School

1994 - After much ongoing thought and discussion, the Brothers determined that returning the school to its former independent status would best meet the spiritual and educational needs of the Catholic community they are called to serve. In September of that year, “Oaklands” reopened its doors as an independent, co-educational, university preparatory school

The De La Salle Property –Originally, what is now De La Salle “Oaklands” was part of a 200-acre grant by the Government of Upper Canada in 1798 to Chief Justice Honourable John Elmsley. By 1836 the crown land was given by the Elmsley family to St. James Anglican church. Senator John Macdonald bought 35 acres from the Anglican Church in 1858. He named his new property “Oaklands”, as he often admired the splendid oak trees on the acreage. This land ran up the east side of Avenue Road from Cotthingham Street, almost to St. Clair Avenue. The castle-like mansion (Heritage House) that exists today on the crest of the hill began in 1860 as a compact gothic house. Today this house has been designated as a historic building, since it is regarded as the best example of gothic domestic architecture in Toronto.