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News Release
Tyndale University College &
Seminary
to Acquire Morrow Park
from Sisters of St. Joseph
June 30, 2006
Unique 56-acre property will continue to be used
for religious purposes
Sisters of St. Joseph acquire site of future home in Toronto
TORONTO, June 30, 2006 - In a transaction that enables both parties
to continue the pursuit of their respective missions in Christian
education and community service, Tyndale University College &
Seminary ("Tyndale") will acquire the 56.3 acre (22.8
hectare) Morrow Park property from the Sisters of St. Joseph of
Toronto. The property is located at 3377 Bayview Avenue in Toronto,
just south of Steeles Avenue. The transaction, valued at $40 million,
is subject to a number of usual business conditions.
The property is currently home to the Sisters of St. Joseph of
Toronto and St. Joseph's Morrow Park High School. The lease of the
High School to the Toronto Catholic District School Board has been
extended through the end of the 2009-2010 academic year.
The transaction, which has been approved by the Vatican, will be
implemented in stages over a period of up to 10 years. This process
will accommodate the relocation of the Sisters of St. Joseph to
their future home.
Opened in 1961, the Morrow Park property will continue to be used
for religious purposes and as a centre of Christian education and
training. Its Chapel will continue as sacred space. The transaction
will enable Tyndale to meet the projected need for additional classroom
and related space associated with its undergraduate university college
and its seminary for graduate students. Tyndale will retain its
current campus which is located in the immediate area of Morrow
Park.
Sister Margaret Myatt, General Superior of the Sisters of St. Joseph
of Toronto, said, "This transaction continues a 156-year tradition
of addressing our changing needs and those of the community we serve.
It reflects our plan to secure a new home while expanding our focus
on community-based outreach and service."
"In recent years we and our independent advisors have reviewed
a number of alternatives surrounding the future of Morrow Park,"
Sister Margaret noted. "Key to our decision was the knowledge
that Tyndale will continue the use of the property for Christian
education and that the Chapel will continue as sacred space."
Dr. Brian C. Stiller, President and Vice Chancellor of Tyndale
University College & Seminary, said, "This acquisition
strengthens the pursuit of our 112-year mission to be a leading
centre of post-secondary Christian education and training in Canada.
It will meet our projected need for additional space as we grow.
And the property, including the Chapel, will continue to be used
for religious purposes.
"Tyndale has spent several years planning for its future needs.
The fact that the Morrow Park property is so close to our current
campus, can accommodate our increasing enrollment and is so naturally
suited to educational and sacred space makes it a natural fit for
us. The cooperative and constructive way in which the transaction
was concluded illustrates how different religious traditions can
work together in harmony."
Part of the transaction proceeds will be used to purchase land
and to build a future home for the Sisters on that property. Following
an extensive search, the Sisters have acquired 3.8 acres (1.5 hectares)
of land at O'Connor Drive and Broadview Avenue in Toronto. The property
is currently occupied by the Ina Grafton Gage Home, a long-term
care facility ("the Home").
The Home will lease its current site from the Sisters and will
remain in place until completion of its new residence, expected
in 2008. In the meantime, the Sisters will continue to occupy Morrow
Park until their own future home is built. Their new home will incorporate
environmentally friendly design and construction, and will reflect
the character of the surrounding neighbourhood.
The Sisters will also use the proceeds from the sale of Morrow
Park to support current and future community outreach and service
programs. They are responding to the need for programs that address
the poverty, isolation, lack of community and the spiritual void
in our cities. Current initiatives include, among others, affordable
apartments for women who urgently need housing, drop-ins offering
food and companionship, life skills programs like cooking and sewing,
and friendly visiting programs. Another new outreach involves nourishing
the spiritual life of young adults and building community. The Sisters
are also involved in partnership initiatives that address, among
others, affordable housing in Toronto and the needs of newcomers
to Canada. Future ministries to be undertaken with the sale proceeds
are being identified and will be announced as they are approved.
The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto was established
in 1851. It is one of six separate Congregations which together
form The Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada. The more
than 10,000 Sisters of St. Joseph throughout the world strive to
meet their common goal of "love of God and love of neighbour."
In Toronto, this love has taken many forms. An initial focus on
direct ministry - including caring for orphans, teaching children
and nursing the sick led to the establishment of hospitals as well
as elementary and secondary schools. These institutions are an enduring
part of the Sisters' legacy. Today's announcement underlines the
ongoing intention of the Sisters to respond to the unmet needs around
them. Additional information is available at www.csj-to.ca .
Tyndale University College & Seminary has been a major centre
of Christian higher education in Canada since 1894. The longest-established
school of its kind in the country, Tyndale is an undergraduate and
graduate institution whose 1,200 students represent some 40 different
denominations. The non-publicly funded Tyndale was accorded university
status in Ontario in 2003. In addition to its religious degrees,
Tyndale offers BA and BA (Honours) degrees in the humanities, social
sciences and business. The seminary, offering graduate programs
in theological education, is the largest of its kind in the country,
preparing leaders to serve in churches and mission agencies across
Canada and around the world. Additional information is available
at www.tyndale.ca .
-30-
Contacts:
Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto
Gisela CôtÉ
Director of Communications
(416) 250-3119
Tyndale University College & Seminary
Larry N. Willard
Vice President, Advancement
(416) 226-6620 ext. 2657
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