Georges Vanier Secondary School and Woodbine Middle School are two public schools consisting of a junior high school (Grades 6 to 8) and high school (Grades 9 to 12) located in North York district of Toronto, Ontario. Owned and operated by the North York Board of Education (which is now merged into the Toronto District School Board), the school was named after Canada's first French-Canadian Governor General, Georges Vanier. Attached to the Vanier-Woodbine campus is the North-East Year Round Alternative Centre.
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History
Opened in 1966, Georges Vanier was selected by the Canadian Education Association as one of 21 exemplary schools across Canada. The school offers specialized programs such as MSC2, Stem +, Program 2 Art, "One World Youth Arts Project" program, BSc@Van, and the "Focus on Information Technology (FIT)" program, in addition to offering an Advanced Placement program and a Centennial College Partnership program. The school also provides 3 Specialist High Skills Majors (SHSM) programs: Advance, ICT, and Aviation & Aerospace. These programs give students the opportunity to earn nationally recognized certifications.
Incidents
On the night of November 3, 2003 a fatal gang brawl left one individual dead after he succumbed to stab wounds. The individual was not a student at the school and later identified as a resident of Richmond Hill, Ontario who happened to be in the area at the time of the fight.
Notable alumni
David Bendeth, music producer, writer, mixing engineer and recording artist
Ian Crichton, guitarist of the rock band Saga
Benny Hinn, TV evangelist and faith healer
Leighton Hope, Canadian sprinter and Olympian
Maurice LaMarche, voice actor
Geddy Lee, lead singer and bassist of the rock band Rush
Alex Lifeson, guitarist of the rock band Rush
Howie Mandel, comedian and Deal Or No Deal host (attended for half a year)
Mark McKoy, Track & Field Olympian
Kirk McLean, goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks
Alannah Myles, recording artist and songwriter
Garth Richardson, audio engineer, music producer
Carl Rose Professional soccer player and 1976 Olympian
Brian Saunders, Canadian sprinter and Olympian
Gord Stellick, media personality and former manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey club
Catherine Swing, TV personality, actor, producer, director and former Miss Canada 1978
Susan Tighe, civil engineer