Athol Murray College of Notre Dame: A Legacy of Leadership and Virtue

Athol Murray College of Notre Dame, located in Wilcox, Saskatchewan, Canada (PO Box 100, S0G 5E0), stands as a testament to the vision of its founders and the enduring values it instills in its students. Founded in 1920, this private, independent, co-educational boarding high school has a rich history rooted in Catholic tradition, while remaining open to students of all faith backgrounds. The college is committed to developing young men and women to become purposeful leaders with virtuous character.

Origins and Founding

The story of Athol Murray College of Notre Dame begins with the establishment of Notre Dame of the Prairies Convent by the Sisters of Charity of St. Louis in 1920, where they established St. Augustine school. In 1927, Father Athol Murray was appointed to St. Augustine's parish in Wilcox. This marked the beginning of his enduring legacy at the school that would later bear his name.

The Early Years: Overcoming Obstacles

The early years of the college were marked by humble beginnings. In the beginning, the college had no running water or central heating. In 1930, fees were $18 per month, but many students were unable to pay. Murray's commitment to education transcended financial constraints. He accepted students on the basis that they desired an education, not on their ability to pay. A side of beef, a chicken, a bucket of coal and produce were often accepted instead of money. He was assisted by Sister Mary Edith McCullough, whose teaching career spanned 30 years at Wilcox. McCullough ran the elementary and high schools while Murray spent most of his time with the students in the Arts programs.

A Transformative Leader: Athol Murray's Influence

Murray, affectionately known as "Père," was the driving force behind the college's transformation. He brought fifteen boys from Regina to Wilcox where they were enrolled in residential Notre Dame School. He began the high school program known as Notre Dame of the Prairies College. He moved to Regina from Toronto in 1922, where he had earlier established the Argos sports club, and he brought many students with him to Saskatchewan and founded the Regina Argos program. Murray was assigned to Wilcox in 1933 and began teaching at St. Augustine School, which had been established in 1920 by the Sisters of Charity of St. Louis. Known as Père, he would never refuse a deserving student an education - even if that meant tuition was paid in potatoes and wheat rather than dollars and cents. Leading the college until his death, he influenced generations of Canadians and the development of Canadian hockey.

A Prairie Environment

Located on 50 acres within the charming, rural Village of Wilcox, Saskatchewan, Canada, Notre Dame College is surrounded by endless skies and expansive fields, with breath-taking sunsets and ocean like wheat fields that only a campus day visit could justify in it's description and beauty. Notre Dame College prides itself on providing its students an exceptional academic and boarding experience with a balance of strong academic, athletic and spiritual growth in a safe and caring prairie environment. Notre Dame is a co-educational independent boarding school that is home to 300+ students, (grades 9-12), historically representing all Canadian provinces and territories and up to 20 different countries. International students have the opportunity to learn English as an additional language (EAL programs), travel across Canada, live in a safe and supportive community, engage in all school programs, meet and board with classmates and develop life long friendships from classmates around the world.

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Academic Excellence and Innovation

At Notre Dame, our academic strength lies in the philosophy that all students benefit from a positive learning environment. It is more than the delivery of the curriculum that is important. Our students excel in an environment that is supportive and demanding, challenging each student to strive for growth and understanding in all academic areas. Notre Dame offers multiple Advanced Placement (AP) and Dual Credit (University/College) courses with a focus on STEAM education. The challenging, 21st Century academic learning program at Notre Dame is an integral part of the development of the complete Notre Dame Hound. Graduates from Notre Dame are regularly accepted at top universities across Canada, the United States and worldwide. 80% of all students are on the Honour Roll with 100% graduation rate. Notre Dame graduates receive more than twice as much in post-secondary scholarships and are 50% more likely to receive a post-secondary scholarship than the average Canadian high school graduate. Millions $$ in both academic and athletic scholarships have been awarded to both male and female Notre Dame students.

The college offers a wide array of AP / Advanced Courses. There are 15 AP / Advanced Courses Offered: AP Art, AP Biology, AP Calculus, AP Economics, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Environmental Science, AP Statistics, AP World History, Business 100 - University Dual Credit, English 100 - University Dual Credit, Indigenous Studies 100 - University Dual Credit, Introductory Cree - University Dual Credit, Power Engineering, Sports Management - University Dual Credit, Strategies for Academic Success - University Dual Credit.

Spiritual Development

Notre Dame`s spiritual development program is rooted in the Catholic tradition and open to students of all faiths and backgrounds. The College maintains an ecumenical outlook and encourages all to seek God, put their faith in Him and live in accordance with their belief.

A Hub for Extracurricular Activities

Athol Murray College of Notre Dame has many activities and clubs to join including: Arts, Drama, Music, Choral, Band, E-Sports, Volleyball, Basketball, Robotics, Multi Media, Junior Achievements (Entrepreneurial Business), Outdoor Education, Year Book, Student Representative Council (SRC), Leadership Programs (Works of Mercy, Hounds for Humanity), Public Speaking and more.

Athletic Prowess: The Notre Dame Hounds

The Notre Dame Hounds are known internationally for their athletic achievements. All high school sports teams excel at Notre Dame and provide additional post-secondary opportunities with possibilities of athletic scholarships. Notre Dame teams have tallied league and provincial championship titles in football, rugby, lacrosse, wrestling, basketball, volleyball, soccer, baseball, wrestling, softball, track and field, badminton and golf, with a countless number of athletes advancing to post-secondary, Team Canada and professional ranks. Notre Dame College has developed Canada's first Esports Prep program with opportunities to achieve post-secondary scholarships or direct job industry placement. The Athol Murray College of Notre Dame hockey program is world renowned and recognized as one of Canada's leading hockey development programs with numerous league, provincial and national championship awards at all levels. Notre Dame hosts 11 male and female hockey teams from U15 Prep up to the Jr. A level (SJHL). In 2022, both male and female U18 AAA teams competed at the National Championships for the TELUS and ESSO Cup. 215+ Notre Dame Hounds have been drafted, played and or coached in the NHL since 2022, with 8 Notre Dame Alumni that have been appointed to the Order of Canada (one of Canada's highest honours of merit). No other high school in the world has developed more elite, junior, collegiate, USPORT, NCAA, National, Olympic, NHL and professional hockey players then Athol Murray College of Notre Dame.

The Notre Dame Hounds were a Canadian Junior A ice hockey team based in Wilcox, Saskatchewan. The team was affiliated with Athol Murray College of Notre Dame, a private boarding school established in 1920 and later renamed after Athol Murray, who directed the school and founded its hockey program. The Hounds were members of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and played their home games in Duncan McNeill Arena. The team became national champions in 1988, representing Western Canada and winning the Centennial Cup. The Hounds have also operated successful Minor AAA teams over the course of their history. The Hounds hockey program was notable for producing a number of players who have gone on to National Hockey League careers. Murray was the inspirational force behind the famous Notre Dame Hounds hockey team.

Notable Alumni

More than 100 former Hounds have been drafted by National Hockey League including Wendel Clark, Curtis Joseph, Rod Brind'Amour, Brad Richards and Vincent Lecavalier.

Sample of notable school alumni / alumnae; Over 215 notable alumni in the NHL some including: Wendell Clark, Russ Courtnall, Curtis Joseph, Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards, Braydon Coburn, Jordan Eberle, Tyler Myers, Morgan Reilly, Jaden Schwartz, Hayden Fleury, Sean Couturier, Dillon Dube`, Stefan Matteau, Dryden Hunt, Cale Fleury, Brayden McNabb, Zac Rinaldo, Jordan Weal, Curtis McElhinney, Scott Darling, Slater Koekkoek, Liam O'Brien and many more.

Athol Murray College of Notre Dame famous alumni include: o William (Bill) Hunter, o Dr Olive Dickason, B.A., M.A., PhD, o Dr Ray Rajotte, PhD, o Gerald Maier, O.C., C.D., o Rod Brind’Amour, o Hon. Jason Kenney, o Paul J.

Championship Legacy

The Hounds hockey team joined the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) in 1970, although the team struggled to compete and the arrangement last only until 1976. After that, the team operated only as a AAA minor hockey team for more than a decade. In 1980, the team won the national championship, the Air Canada Cup, defeating the Ste. The Hounds' first season back in the SJHL, 1987-88, would prove to be the most successful in club history, despite most of the players still being under-18s. Coached by Barry MacKenzie and boasting future National Hockey League (NHL) stars Rod Brind'Amour and Curtis Joseph, the team won 53 out of 60 games and defeated the Yorkton Terriers for the SJHL title. The team then swept the Winnipeg South Blues for the right to contest the Western Canadian Abbott Cup title, in which they faced the Calgary Canucks. Although the Hounds topped the SJHL standings the following season, they fell short of defending their title.

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Campus and Facilities

Our campus boasts a full-size Olympic ice surface, a state-of-the-art off-ice skills training facility, a high-performance training facility with a certified strength and conditioning coach, athletic therapist, fully equipped gymnasium, university calibre weight room, five residence houses, dining hall, multiple sports fields, laundry facility, Health Care Clinic with full time nursing staff and on-call doctors, Student Activity Centre, mental performance coach and elite coaches with provincial, national, international and professional experience.

Accreditation and Recognition

Athol Murray College of Notre Dame accreditations: Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS).

Murray was named a monsignor in 1968.

The Institute for Stained Glass in Canada has documented the stained glass at the school, which include windows dedicated sixty-seven ex-students of Notre Dame College who served and died during World War II. The stained-glass window by Colonial Studios, Ottawa, circa 1948 depicts St.

Addressing Past Allegations

Since 2021, the Hounds organization has been the subject of allegations of physical and sexual abuse by players who attended Notre Dame College and played hockey there in the 1980s. On December 22, 2021, TSN broke a story about a Notre Dame student who claimed to have been the victim of "a series of vicious sexual, physical and psychological assaults during his time at Notre Dame" in 1986 and has been unable to get an apology for what happened to him since 1999. The hazing incidents included him being forced by other students to eat Kraft Dinner that had been cooked in human urine, to play a tug-of-war-like game wherein his genitalia were attached to those of another student and stretched, and to massage the buttocks of senior students. The student allegedly visited the school nurse at least twice each week because of the beatings, but the nurse never informed his parents of the incidents. A dorm supervisor who witnessed an alleged incident where students whipped the victim with wet towels while he was forced into a jetliner position allegedly ignored the incident. The student fled the school but was forced back inside. The next day, his mother arrived at the school to take him home, and the dorm supervisor informed him that he was being expelled for having left the school without permission, and that the alleged abuse was being investigated. The alumnus filed a negligence lawsuit against the school in 2018, which is ongoing.

Looking Ahead

Athol Murray College of Notre Dame continues to uphold its mission of providing an exceptional educational experience rooted in strong academics, athletics, and spiritual growth. With a commitment to developing purposeful leaders with virtuous character, the college remains a vital institution in Canadian education, preparing students for success in universities across Canada, the United States, and worldwide. Notre Dame provides an exceptional educational and boarding experience with a balance of strong academic, athletic and spiritual growth in a safe and caring prairie environment.

Additional Information

Athol Murray College of Notre DameLocation: 49 Main Street, Wilcox, Saskatchewan, S0G 5E0, Canada. Coordinates: 50°05′56″N 104°43′12″W. School type: Private, independent school, day, and residential boarding school. Motto: Luctor et Emergo (Struggle and Emerge). Religious affiliation: Roman Catholic. Founded: 1920; 105 years ago. Founders: Fr. Athol Murray and the Sisters of Charity of St. Louis. Does Athol Murray College of Notre Dame offer a summer program? Yes, Athol Murray College of Notre Dame offers a summer program.

College Matriculation

Year: 1999 - 2024. 10 Most Popular College Choices (# Enrolled): University of Saskatchewan 20, University of British Columbia 10, University of Toronto Canada 10.

Diversity and Inclusion

LD types supported: Dyslexia / Language Based / Mild Learning Differences.

Financial Aid

)% Students on Financial Aid. Merit Scholarships Offered.

Dress Code

Notre Dame's dress code is mostly casual with days of formal dress required. There are no school uniforms. Students address faculty and staff members by their first name or nicknames. A professional, highly educated, dedicated and highly motivated academic faculty provides students with a unique learning experience. The creation of a positive classroom environment where students are challenged to think and speak for themselves contributes to the education of our students.

Extracurriculars

Total Extracurricular Organizations: 28.

Club or Organization: Club Soccer, Club Volleyball, Gaming, Hounds for Humanity, Hounds TV, Lacrosse, Student Representative Council (SRC), Works of Mercy, Year Book.

Arts and Music Programs: Notre Dame Canadians Choral Group.

Recreational Athletic Programs: Figure Skating, Golf, Outdoor Education (Camping/Hiking/Climbing), Skiing / Snowboarding.

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