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For more information, or to arrange a personal consultation, please contact Tamara Konoval, at tamara@braemarcollege.com
Virgenia Lemieux started teaching at Braemar College in 1997 and was named Principal in 2016.
“Our school founder and my mentor, Mrs. Sheila McDonald, instilled a love of learning in our students and inspired our teachers. ‘If a student is comfortable,’ she often told me, ‘they will gain confidence to continue to develop learning skills and find their passion.”
Virgenia Lemieux holds a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree in English and Dramatic Arts, and a Bachelor of Education degree in Concurrent Education from Queen’s University.
Since its foundation in 1995, Braemar College has helped students from around the world enter top Canadian colleges and universities. During this time we have also welcomed a growing number of local Canadian students or students with permanent residency.
In 2026, as part of the 30th anniversary celebrations, we began to set aside each year a number of subsidized spots exclusively for local Canadian (or permanent resident) students.
We offer grades 9 to 12 of the Ontario Secondary School Curriculum, and our rich extracurricular programming is designed to help each student to develop his or her own special talents and abilities.
Our school has an academic year consisting of four nine-week terms (sometimes called “quadmesters”). This allows a full-time student to focus on two courses at once.
There is also an academic summer term (July to mid-August) consisting of 6 weeks. As a result, during this summer term the school day is slightly longer.
A typical day for a high school student during the academic year (September to June) would consist of one class in the morning and one in the afternoon. But with a third period in the later afternoon students have additional options.
Each day we have three periods:
A part-time student takes one course. A regular student takes two courses. And an Express Option student takes three courses.
Our faculty is a team of committed and experienced professional educators, all certified by the Ontario College of Teachers, and many also holding advanced academic degrees.
Braemar College is located in a downtown heritage property on the southern border of the St. George Campus of University of Toronto. It is a safe, lively neighbourhood, close to public transportation connecting our campus to all parts of the city.
At Braemar College, learning continues beyond the classroom. Our Director of Student Experience has created a rich variety of extracurricular activities for students of all ages and interests.
GRADES
Gr. 9 – Gr. 12
UNIVERSITY (MAJOR)
Ryerson University
My experience at Braemar College was terrific, it was filled with a lot joy and education purposes. What stood out for me at Braemar was the community that the school was able to build, even after my 2 years studying at the school, I was able to make a lot of friends that I am still currently in contact with. I liked how the teachers and administrative people made the experience very enjoyable. If there is something that I would have changed was to add with further extracurricular activities for students. I felt that the school prepared a lot towards my post-secondary education due to how the teachers were teaching with a lot of passion. A prospective student should expect a well-rounded education with chances to choose what they want to study for post-secondary life.
The school administration played a huge role in helping me when I first came to the country and as I graduated, they assisted me further with guiding how I can choose my career and which post-secondary institution was the best choice for me. Those were factors that were outstanding for me in my time at Braemar. From my experience, the attitude towards the administration was very positive and they were high regard in the school. They treated the students with a lot of respect while listening to the students’ ideas. Administration always responds to our problems and instill a lot of confidence in the students with effective communication and disciplinary measures, those two factors really played into how students rely on them for a lot of assistants especially students about to graduate.
I was pleased with the instructions that I received at Braemar. The quality of the teachers overall was very good as a lot of them did leave a mark on how I develop throughout my adolescent years. Most of the time the dynamic between students and teachers are on point, the teachers are always there to answer any questions that students have and are willing to listen to students point of view on a plethora of topics. For that, they are able to provide a lot of constructive feedback and guide students to add further in the future. With all the teachers that I have studied from, they have all inspired me to become who I am today because of the communication and challenges that they gave me. To conclude, the teachers of Braemar College did have a big impact on my academic life.
The academic program when I first arrived at Braemar was somewhat limited but by the time I graduated from the school, they were able to provide a lot more classes. The strengths in the academic program were the teachers as they put a lot of efforts in their classes. The academic culture of the school was built by the teachers and in the end, as I remember in my graduate class, they were a lot of students who enrolled in a lot of good post-secondary institutions in Ontario. The students were competitive but it was a healthy competition in order for every student to feel that they are contributing to the class. As mentioned before, I truly felt that Braemar was able to prepare for my post-secondary life and a huge thanks to it was to the teachers and administrative people who have guided me a lot in Grade 12.
There were some opportunities for some extracurricular activities at Braemar. Whenever I participated in those activities, the atmosphere was very joyful and competitive for physical extracurricular activities. There were opportunities to participate for fun but also provided a lot of development outside the class where people have met new friends. Overall it was a good job developing extracurricular activities for students to enjoy.
The students size grew and by the time I graduated, it was one of the most diverse group of students that I have been in. Due to that, the general atmosphere of the student bodies were very multiculturalistic as people brought it ideas from different cultures and enhanced the students’ learning. There is no exact way to describe a “typical” Braemar student but most students at Braemar are quality hard-working students, and because of that qualities a lot of students respect each other and enjoy the small competition between them. Even with a large diverse group of students, all of them get along well and were able to learn a lot of different skills/knoweldge from each other. With that, Braemar was a very good school to develop international knowledge similar to the Canadian society.
I really enjoyed my time that I spent at Braemar College. As mentioned above, the student body and teachers were the big factors that I enjoyed my time studying at the school. There were many ways that Braemar could improve the quality of life for the students. One of them being have more extracurricular activities, even though the school provided a lot but it was still limited due to the amount of students in the school then but having more of those activities will connect the students more with each other. Overall, I think that most students will find that Braemar will provide them with a very good time, especially for international students who are coming in. They will be a very good guide to what you want to do in your future.
Before becoming an alumnus at the school, the community at Braemar College was quite astonishing since everyone works for everyone in the community. Students and teachers have a lot of respect for each other and are willing to learn from one another. Now being an alumnus, I still am in contact with other school alumni, some even go to the same post-secondary schools together. Alumni still hang out with each other and continue the friendships that were built during the days studying at Braemar. Since it was an International school when I was there, parents were not really there but I have seen during graduation that a lot of parents came to see their child and enjoy the accomplishment. Parents do have a committee at school and work together with the adminstration.
Since the school was at a downtown location, it was very easy to travel to school. Surrounding the school was the University of Toronto so there were a lot of chances to venture beyond school grounds. Furthermore, there was a library near the school as well as many shops nearby for students to go to and hang out after school.
When I applied to Braemar College, it was a really new experience for me and I did find it somewhat stressful but the admission officers at Braemar College really guided me through the process from top to bottom. They contacted me on a regular basis when I was applying to the school in order to check with me if I had the correct documents as well as guiding me through with the immigration process. In term of advice that I would give for new applicants, I would say to do your research about the place that you want to live, see if the city is a right fit for you, and always ask the administrative people for guidance since they will have a lot of experience towards the questions that you may have.
The university counselling program was an amazing part of the school as they truly did guide alumni to which school and program that they should choose and what would be the best for them as well as checking on when they need to do it. During my grade 12, I would have counselling meetings every month to check in if I have made any decision towards the program or school that I wanted to go to. I think university placement and counselling were a huge part of the school and I truly think they could not have done it any better. I felt that I have given a lot of appropriate guidance with a lot of checking in. The school really guide us to apply successfully towards the post-secondary institutions and program of our dream
GRADES
Gr. 10 – Gr. 12
UNIVERSITY (MAJOR)
Ryerson University/Hult Int. Business School
This school changed my perspective of the world forever. I became so open-minded that I never looked at things the same way. It’s been almost 10 years since I graduated, but Braemar still has special place in my heart. I had recently finished 2 Masters from Hult Business School in Silicon Valley and I felt that It was really similar to Braemar! I will keep coming back to Braemar every time I visit Toronto! Definitely recommend Braemar to everyone for the international experience! Thanks to Braemar I now live in California and my happy life and company here! Braemar is a life-changing experience!
Braemar college takes school leadership seriously! They even give you a chance to try it yourself in a position of a student council president, which I was. It gave me the opportunity to be the leader that I now translate into my own company. I am forever grateful for that experience and recommend Braemar to all my friends and friends children (most of them already went there). The Best President and a great friend Blair is very passionate about every single student and helped me the most with my choice for university.
The professors are down to earth close to students like friends. I do admire the empathy and patience they hold. I believe that professors play a big role in the education system and at Braemar they know what they are doing! I had learned the life skills that I really do use in life every day! Braemar is the school that transforms the education system forever. The other thing that stands out is that there is no top-down approach between the students and teachers that helps to build the confidence in talking to older authorities and encourages you to ask for help and learn the right approach to get what you need in life!
Braemar college education system was really strong and got me fully ready for university! I feel I was really prepared for University life and took it with ease and calm instead of stressing out like other university students did during the first year. Blair had personally prepared me to face the 1st year and even gave me the course intake suggestions. While at university I studied well and believe that Braemar gave me the foundation to suceed in the student body. Thanks to the homework requirements, the endless motivation, and the continuous support I had received at Braemar, I graduated as the top 200 students at Ryerson University. Even though I wasn’t from Canada I felt I was competitive to other students even though my English wasn’t as perfect as that of Canadians!
Thanks to the Student council there were plenty of options to gather together, meet students and learn about each other! Starting with the welcome dinner at the first day of school I felt that I was home. Braemar really take care of the student’s wellbeing especially during challenging times like exams. There were plenty of opportunities to organize an event yourself – from volunteering to food drive, to a Wonderland trip – anything was possible at Braemar! With New Year parties and various activities and beyond.
I felt like I was with my big family! The international student body helped me create this passion and love for different cultures and have an extraordinary experience! The different cultures at Braemar really opened my mind to the rest of the world outside of Canada. After completing my OSSD Diploma I felt like I had studied all over the world without ever leaving Canada. Now in the Business world the international experience is more important than ever before and Braemar sets the greatest foundation!
It was so fun to go to school that I missed it during the breaks. My parents felt that Braemar was completely safe for me in another country because they knew I was with my new family. I felt that I could share anything and ask for advice on absolutely any subject and I would have the best counseling I could ask for. The school life is busy with activities, events and volunteering! I loved to feel busy and included in all of them! I feel that learning how to organize and manage my time from the early years comes from Braemar! This skills now translate into my own business, but of course I still miss the Braemar life!
Braemar really takes it seriously. Building community is one of the core values of Braemar. The hospitality is on the next level! Every time my parents visited me in Toronto they immediately felt like home. They were always invited to the monthly performance events where the students get to showcase their talents. Both parents and students were happy to participate in such activities as it helped students to build self-confidence, public speaking and acting skills. Even though now its been years since I graduated from Braemar I still come to visit every time I come to Toronto because I consider them my 2nd family! I am really grateful to have had my experience at Braemar.
Braemar is located in downtown Toronto right across U of T! What could be the better location for a school? Create connections with U of T in advance! We even went into some open days to U of T and had a chance to hand out with students from the U of T and ask all the questions we had about studying there.
The admissions process wasn’t challenging but not easy either. It was just the right combination of qualities and multicultural experience! I found to be fair and very organized! I did a test before coming to Braemar and then another placement test as soon as I got there. It helped discover my skills and weaknesses and know what to focus my attention on. I do think that the admission process is really smooth and minimal to focus on only what’s really important. The admission officers were really responsive and helpful at every step of the process. Adam is the best man to deliver the most value Braemar has to offer in terms of admissions. As a philosopher he gives the wisest advice and you are in safe hands with him!
The university placement at Braemar was above and beyond any expectations! This one is the number one I still remember! Blair and Adam gave the best advice that I treated even more seriously than that of my family. They can read people well and make suggestions and help I couldn’t imagine to receive from anyone else, given my family wasn’t in Canada! I really respected their advice but being the stubborn person as I am, I didn’t listen at first and went into the school that I wasn’t a good fit for. Later I realized my mistake and found myself following their advice anyway. Another legendary person was Davon, the English teacher. He was so real about the cold hard truth of life that I live by his advice to this date!
GRADES
Gr. 11 – Gr. 12
UNIVERSITY (MAJOR)
York University
My experience at Braemar was truly wonderful. Being an international school situated in the heart of Toronto, I was able to grasp and engage with people from around the world. The teachers are helpful and filled with knowledge about the subject that they teach as they make you think outside of the box. Braemar holds a special place in my heart as it has taught me how to engage critically and analytically through a variety of courses that it offered. I am happy to say that even after all these years, my friends from Braemar have always been there for support. Students who enroll in Braemar will be glad to know that they will be spending their time in a nurturing environment that is always there to help!
The administrative body at Braemar is always there to help. The guidance council have helped me gain courage in myself and helped me grow to be the confident person that I currently am. The friendly nature of the faculty recognizes the different needs of students and understand how hard it is for international students to be away from home. The highly skilled administrative team identifies and troubleshoots whenever students need help and helps them organize their courses that fit their future goals.
They have helped me navigate my passion and help fuel my interest in the field of International Relations as well as academia. The teachers were always there to help and were very knowledgeable with the material that they taught. Teachers at Braemar were very friendly and nurture a sense of trust and mutual respect with their students. They have helped me gain a critical understanding about a variety of socio-political issues that are happening all around the world and bridged me perfectly into going into university. They provide constructive feedback and always make you feel like you want to shoot for the stars. Mr. Onave, my teacher for geography and world issues imparted knowledge that I still cherish to this day as he helped me lay a foundation in trying to understand the world.
The academic program at Braemar is set up in such a manner that helps students achieve a successful future. Students are able to choose courses of their own liking with the guidance of the administration along the way. I was personally able to pick courses that helped me achieve my goal of getting an admission to the International Studies (International Relations) program at York University. The student body is responsive and helps you think and rethink academically. When I was a part of Braemar, many of my peers had a sense of friendly competition that motivated me to achieve my goals and nurture a sense of understanding and camaraderie within competition. Braemar has helped me advance my oratory and writing skills that help me achieve great success in all the course work that I am doing in university.
Even though I was not that great in sports initially, I used to look forward to sports nights and events. I can happily say that my current love for basketball and football had roots in Braemar. Other activities like themed Fridays were really fun and executed well by the student body. I had fun as an organizer of the event and learned so much from these that I currently hold the Operations Manager position at an organization at York University.
Looking back at all the things that happened at Braemar, the one thing that always made me feel like home was that the student body consisted of people from all around the world. I developed a sense of cosmopolitan views that made me appreciate the beauty of different cultures and languages. The school had real student leaders that knew what was happening around the world and gave critical insights whenever necessary. Many of my colleagues who were interested in sciences and social sciences went on to achieve great success in various universities. Empathy was a major quality that we all shared and adored. All of us used to get along really well inside the classroom and outside the classroom on various occasions. The students at Braemar are an energetic bunch.
I love Braemar. I call it home for a lot of different reasons. I met people from all around the world that I connect with on several networking occasions. Not only did I love the student body, I adored the faculty members and administration. It was such a pleasant environment that makes me look back with a lot of nostalgia as I deal with the stresses of everyday life and university. I had a big confidence boost in my adolescent life thanks to Braemar. Being away from home can be stressful for a lot of international students but Braemar tried their best to accommodate all the students.
The Braemar community is a welcoming community. Even though we are all busy doing our own things and pursuing our goals, the alumni community still maintains contact and an open heart. As I was 18 when I transferred to Braemar, my parents trusted me enough to pursue my goals in the way I wanted and stayed away from my academics. But I can say that parents are always welcome to contact the management about whatever concerns they have. As for maintaining friendship after graduation, I can happily share that my best friends are all from Braemar as we decided to pursue programs in the same university. Braemar has helped me develop a great sense of love and empathy towards my friends and build great trust between them.
The school is located right next to the University of Toronto Campus near Spadina and College and I know that a lot of my friends back then aimed for one of Canada’s most prestigious university because of the proximity of the school to the university. Students have a lot of space to explore the downtown core and have fun with their friends!
I remember that the admissions team was really friendly and answered all my questions with a smile. The school application process was not stressful, however, for any international student the process of visa and study permit application can get quite stressful. The Braemar team was really helpful in providing me quick information and documentation that I needed to apply for my visa to Canada. The admission officers did their best to accommodate for my schedule and my arrival. They were in constant contact with me throughout my journey prior to my first entry into Braemar. I have to applaud the dedication and hard work in order to make students from all around the world feel like they belong and be appreciated even before actually meeting them in person.
I was lost in my late teenage years as I had no idea on what I actually wanted to pursue in my post-secondary education. I have had several change of hearts before actually coming to the realization of what I actually wanted to do and study in university. The counseling team helped me narrow down on what I had to do and accommodated me throughout my journey at Braemar. The moment that I realized that I wanted a career in International Relations, I notified the counselling team who then made a schedule for me that works perfectly. Most of the courses that I took in Grade 12 were specifically tailored by the team to help me achieve my goal. Once I got my letter of acceptance to my first choice post-secondary program, I was thrilled and happy that I made it so far. I was even more excited when I came to know that I was awarded the York University-Braemar College award for academic excellence after I got my admission!
