Thomson Collegiate Institute

David And Mary Thomson Collegiate Institute opened its doors on September 8, 1959 and operated up until 2019 when a brand new school was built nearby. It was named after the first European settlers that immigrated to Scarborough in the late 18th century. The school’s motto was “Nil Sine Magno Labore” meaning “Nothing Without Great Effort.”

The capacity was 1623 students and by the 2018-19 school year there was only 997 pupils enrolled. In 2019 the school celebrated its 60th anniversary which also brought upon its closure. The brand new facility was supposed to be ready for September 2019 but due to delays it didn’t open until Dec 10, 2019.

I kept seeing people posting auditorium shots and at first I thought it was from the recently demolished Bendale school. Thanks to a certain Instagram explorer who helped me out with this one. Unlike that school, this one was surprisingly very easy to access. Demolition is in progress and you need to go after hours. Don’t expect to be alone as we ran into another fellow explorer inside. Later on a former student dropped by and grabbed a brick for sentimental purposes.

We got here late but still managed to get some decent shots. The boys double gym was already partially demoed and everything else is stripped. The auditorium is the huge highlight here and only the upper level seating remains. Don’t worry you can still visit the girls double gym, ballerina room, Cafe, kitchen etc. Some people may find it boring and you would need to get here as soon as possible as chunks are disappearing daily. I was still happy to explore it even in this condition than not being able to see it at all.