When Pickering College was relocated to Pickering Township in the 1870s, it entered a much more stable and prosperous phase of its history. The move from its original, isolated site in Prince Edward County to what is now Pickering Village (in present-day Ajax) made the school far more accessible to students from across the region. A new campus was developed with purpose-built facilities, including classrooms, boarding houses, and spaces for scientific study, reflecting the growing importance of formal education in Ontario at the time. The school emphasized co-education, moral character, and academic rigor—values that distinguished it from many other institutions of the period.
During its years in Pickering Village, the college built a strong reputation as a respected boarding and day school. Enrollment increased, and the school became known for offering a well-rounded curriculum that combined academic subjects with practical and ethical instruction. The campus itself became a central part of the local community, contributing to the cultural and educational life of the area. However, this period of growth came to an abrupt end when a devastating fire destroyed the main buildings. The loss ultimately led to the decision to relocate once again, this time to Newmarket, marking the end of the Pickering Village chapter in the college’s history.
The posted coordinates take you to a small parking lot which contains a sign describing Pickering College. Use the information on the sign to come up with the final coordinates for this simple two-stage multi:
A = total number of floors (stories) in the red brick college building + 1
B = number of the floor containing the study room and stage
C = sum of the dormitory floor numbers (eg. if the dorms were on the 8th and 9th floors, then C would be 17)
Use the three numbers you came up with to form the final coordinates:
N 043° 51.ABB' W 079° 03.BAC'