Note 45 — Colonial Chapter in the History of American Education. (continued 2)

The Evangelical Churchman of the 21st February, 1887, thus refers to the vicissitudes of the Education office:—The Education Department for Ontario, or rather Upper Canada as it was then called, had its first Toronto office in Bay Street, in the building now occupied by the publishers of the Evangelical Churchman. From 1841, when the first Provincial School Law was passed, until 1844, the office was a mere adjunct to the Provincial Secretary's Department at Kingston. In that year Rev. Dr. Ryerson was appointed to the office which he so ably filled until 1876, when he retired. In 1844 the Education office was removed to Cobourg, when the present Deputy Minister of Education became its chief and sole officer under Dr. Ryerson. In 1846 it was again removed and transferred to Toronto, and was placed in a room over the front door of the present Evangelical Churchman office. The first Council of Public Instruction for the Province held its meetings in the west portion of the printing office, upstairs. In the room over the door the first reliable statistical report of the number of schools, etc., in this province was compiled. It was printed in the shape of a broad sheet, 12x15, on light blue paper, and bears date "September, 1846." This report, which is full of interesting statistics, has long since been out of print, but we have been fortunate enough to obtain a copy. The Education office had various vicissitudes in those early days of its existence. In 1847 it was removed from this building to the Secretary's office at the old Government House—long since demolished. In 1849, when the seat of Government was removed from Montreal to Toronto, it was transferred to the "Albany Chambers," now the Revere House, on King street. Thence, in 1852, it was finally removed to its present handsome quarters in St. James' square.