Episode 1

The pilot school

1914

Orde was built to accommodate the influx of immigrants following the impact of World War I, who sought economic opportunities and refuge from persecution and political instability.

1916

Orde’s Open Air School, to improve and prevent tuberculosis in children, was among the first of its kind in North America.

1921

Orde opened the first "sight-saving class" for visually-impaired students in Toronto.

1950 - 1960

Orde had always played an important role in the lives of newcomers to Canada like in this image where newcomers are learning English.

LOCATION

Orde Street Public School is nestled behind the huge glass hospital buildings on University Avenue. It’s hidden, and unless you know it’s there, you wouldn’t see it. However, the experience there is one of the reasons I wanted to pursue my Master's in Teaching. One of the most impactful programs that I was a part of at the school was the Heritage Language Program.

Heritage Language Program

Flyer for Heritage Languages Program and classes in Cantonese and Mandarin, 1977 (Funké et al., p. 174, 2025).

An undated brochure from the Toronto Board of Education advertising the Black Cultural Heritage Program (Funké et al., p. 176, 2025).

Mi Ling Cheung teaches Kindergarten students at Orde Public School Chinese songs during a 30-minute class at the end of the normal school day from Toronto Public Library - Toronto Star Archives) (Dick, *The Toronto Star*, 1987).

A Cantonese language class at Ogden PS (Stawocki, *Toronto Star,* 2000).

A quote by Tony Succi, the TDSB’s heritage language Supervisor in reaction to the backlash that HLP received (Brown, *The Toronto Star*, 1984) Toronto Public Library - Toronto Star Archives.

What HLP were available at what schools in the year 2000 (Brown, *The Toronto Star*, 2000) from Toronto Public Library - Toronto Star Archives.

Episode 2