HUMBER COLLEGE

Humber College, officially known as the Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning, is a prominent public College of Applied Arts and Technology located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Established in 1967, Humber College operates across three main campuses: Humber North campus, Carrier Drive campus, and Lakeshore campus. Additionally, the University of Guelph-Humber is affiliated with Humber College.

The college was founded in 1967 with Gordon Wragg serving as its first President. The initial section of Humber College started on September 11, 1967, at James S. Bell Elementary School on Lake Shore Boulevard West. The Lakeshore Campus expanded with the inclusion of manpower retraining programs on Queen Elizabeth Way in Etobicoke. In November 1968, North Campus was officially opened by the Mayors of Etobicoke and York.

During the early 1970s, student enrollment at Humber College grew significantly, leading to the expansion of business and technology programs at both the North and Lakeshore Campuses. Humber College boasted the largest group of business students in the province and introduced three-year co-op programs in various technology and business fields.

In the early 1980s, Humber College responded to industry demands by focusing on flexible class schedules, including weekend classes. It also introduced skill-based training courses and incorporated computer applications into technology programs. The Lakeshore Campus, situated on the lakeshore at its permanent location, became the first college to offer a solar technology program to address the needs of the growing solar industry at the time.

Humber College established an extensive international outreach program, working in over 20 countries, and developed one of the largest international programs among Canadian colleges by 1987. This initiative introduced responsive tertiary education concepts to countries in Africa and Asia.

The college was used as a filming location for movies like “The Last Chase” in the fall of 1980 and the first “Police Academy” film in 1983.

In the mid-1980s, Humber College shifted its focus more toward arts and applied arts programs while emphasizing internal processes over program innovation and concentrating on local rather than national or international activities.

Today, Humber College is recognized as an Ontario Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, offering a wide range of educational programs to its diverse student body.