John Abbott College
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John Abbott College Emblem
John Abbott College (JAC) is a CEGEP located in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec Canada, at the western tip of the Island of Montreal. Named after Sir John Abbott, Canada's third prime minister who lived in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue after his retirement, the College primarily serves Montreal's West Island Community, although you can also meet students here from other parts of Quebec and the rest of Canada.
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Overview
Founded in 1971, it is housed in turn-of-the-century renovated buildings in historic Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, on a 1600 acres (647 ha) campus. John Abbott is a visually spectacular college long recognized as a prominent landmark in the West Island of Montreal.
Characterized by its tiled roofs and red brick buildings located on the shores of Lac Saint-Louis, the College shares its campus with McGill University's Macdonald College. Distinctive architecture, stately trees and rolling green lawns in a charming semi-rural setting have all contributed to the College's reputation for being the most beautiful of the CEGEP network.
The name of each building has historical and/or educational significance:
- Brittain Hall: Dr. W. H. Brittain was Vice Principal of Macdonald College and the building honours his memory.
- Casgrain: Named in honour of Senator Thérèse Casgrain, an advocate of women's rights.
- Herzberg: Named after Gerhard Herzberg, a Canadian who won the Nobel Prize in Physics. Formerly known as 'Main' or 'Administration' building.
- Hochelage: This is the native name for Montreal. The building honours the native people of Canada. Formerly known as the 'Biology' building.
- Penfield: Wilder Penfield for whom the building is named was a famous Montreal neurosurgeon. Formerly known as the 'Chemistry and Physics' building.
- Stewart Hall: Mr. and Mrs. Walter Stewart were benefactors to Macdonald College and the building was named to honour their memory.
Over 5,000 students are enrolled in the Day Division and about 2,000 are in the Continuing Education Division.
As one of 47 CEGEPs (collège d'enseignement général et professionnel) in Quebec, John Abbott offers two types of programs: two-year pre-university programs that lead to university, and three-year career or professional programs designed to lead directly to the labour market.
Academic Programs
- Aircraft Maintenance
- Business Administration
- Computer Science
- Correctional Intervention
- Dental Hygiene
- Engineering Technologies
- Information & Library Technologies
- Nursing
- Police Technology
- Professional Theatre
- Publication Design & Hypermedia Technology
- Creative Arts, Literature and Languages
- Fine Arts
- Liberal Arts
- Sciences
- Social Sciences
- Various Entry Programs
Student Life
John Abbott students are blessed with a highly dedicated staff responsible for student activities. They provide many opportunities for students to get involved outside of the classroom and to further their learning experience. A great deal of activities take place each day around the campus and also a large amount of club space is made available for student groups.
The campus broadcasts the CSKY radio station.
The student union manages the clubs as well as provides a voice for students regarding the day to day life and operations at the College.
The Bandersnatch is the student newspaper. The name originates from Lewis Carroll's poem Jabberwocky where The Bandersnatch is a fictional creature.
The paper has been published on a bi-monthly basis throughout the academic year ever since the College opened its doors in 1971.
Famous Alumni
- Glen Murray, Former Mayor of Winnipeg
- Jennifer Ditchburn, CBC Reporter
Historical Facts
- John Abbott finally purchased its buildings from McGill University in 2002. It was the only College in Quebec to still be renting its property. McGill still owns and operates the majority of the land on campus.
- The College was originally supposed to be built in Pointe-Claire next to Fairview Pointe-Claire and its stay on McGill's campus was to be of short duration. Temporary facilities were built on Hymus Boulevard in Kirkland and some classes were held in these buildings, known as the Kirkland Campus. A shuttle bus connected the two campuses.
- In 1981, a portion of the cupola at the top of the Herzberg building collapsed and fell onto the road facing the building. Luckily, no one was injured. The many renovation done to the College in the 1970's destabilized the 80 year structure and caused it to collapse. It was replaced by a much lighter, not so similar replica of the original.
Trivia
- The president is Keith W. Henderson
- The sports teams are called the Islanders
See also
- English-language CEGEPs
External links
- www.johnabbott.qc.ca
- The Bandersnatch student newspaper (http://www.johnabbott.qc.ca/~bandersnatch)