George Brown College

George Brown College of Applied Arts and Technology is a public, fully accredited college of applied arts and technology with three full campuses in downtown Toronto (Ontario, Canada). Like many other colleges in Ontario, GBC was chartered in 1966 by the government of Ontario and opened the next year.The college was established during the formation of Ontario's community college system in 1967. Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology were established on May 21, 1965. The college is named after George Brown, who was an important 19th century politician and newspaper publisher (he founded the Toronto Globe, forerunner to The Globe and Mail) and was one of the Fathers of Confederation. The college's predecessor, the Provincial Institute of Trades (PIT), was founded in 1951 to offer apprentice training on behalf of the provincial Department of Labour. In 1952, began operation at 21 Nassau Street in Toronto's Kensington Market and, after expanding with the construction of two additional buildings on the site, was offering programs in lathing and structural steel, barbering, diesel mechanics, jewellery arts, watchmaking and welding by 1961. In 1962 the province opened the Provincial Institute of Trades and Occupations (PITO), a sister training institute, at 555 Davenport Road near Casa Loma.When George Brown College was formed in 1967, it absorbed both the PIT and PITO and opened its Kensington and Casa Loma campuses at the two institutes' former facilities. George Brown College also went on to absorb, in 1969, four former Toronto Board of Education Adult Education Centres in a third campus at 507 College Street and, in 1973, five Toronto-area Schools of Nursing in 1973, including: St. Joseph's, St. Michael's, Toronto General, Atkinson (Toronto Western) and Nightingale.  In 1973, a new expanded Casa Loma campus was opened. In 1976, the St. James Campus opened at 200 King Street East in buildings formerly belonging to Christie Bakery and Hallmark Cards. The Hospitality building (300 Adelaide E.) opened at St. James Campus in 1987, the same year that the College Street Campus closed. Kensington Campus closed in 1994.Toronto is home to many major industries in Canada and one of the most important economic hubs in North America. As such, the city becomes a living lab for our students. We have three main campuses and several other locations that place students in the heart of downtown Toronto -- St. James Campus, Casa Loma Campus and Waterfront Campus. We’ve taken advantage of our location to give our students an edge in the job market. We partner with companies and organizations that play a role in the academic life of our students by advising course curriculum, providing field education and employment. By helping us develop curriculum, these companies nurture our students to meet industry needs and gain skills that are highly sought after in the current job market. There are so many more reasons to choose George Brown College that you’ll find in the Why George Brown section.THE GEORGE BROWN OF 2030 IS BOLD AND TRANSFORMED. IT IS:Highly personalizedPhysical, digital and experientialFocused on lifelong learningConnected to industry and community partnersLocally strong, globally connectedDifferentiatedResilientThe future of George Brown College presents a range of exciting possibilities as we prepare students for a world of constant change—as economic transformations, climate change, urbanization and disruptive technologies continue to shake up established industries. We've formulated a long-term perspective and vision that will guide us toward the George Brown College of 2030, and, at the same time, ensure that we deliver on the strategy to take us to 2022.

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