Official Opening of Ross House and Parent House

On October 1, 2022, Lakefield College School (LCS) celebrated the official opening of its newest student residences, Ross House and Parent House. The new houses are named in honour of the Ross Family and Parent Family in recognition of their dedication and commitment to the LCS community and the leadership-level philanthropic support that made this important project possible. Over 500 members of the LCS community—students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, trustees, board members, and donors—attended the event to mark the extraordinary milestone in our school’s history. 

The campus hummed with excitement as community members gathered for the opening ceremony. Head of School and Foundation Anne-Marie Kee, alumnus Donald Ross ’48, and Marc Parent P’15, P’18, P’20 were among those who addressed the community. Our guests gathered outside the 32,000-square-foot double residence to witness the official ribbon-cutting ceremonies honouring the Ross Family and Parent Family and friends for their support of the school.

Ross House was named in honour of Donald Ross and his family. Ross spoke of his affection for the school community saying, “To me, the idea of people who provide the odd nickel to have a building named is a very good thing and we hope it continues to happen. But I think we sometimes underestimate the people on the ground, who deal with the students firsthand, who really make the school what it is.” He paused to acknowledge the work of our dedicated faculty and staff who care for, teach, and guide our students on a daily basis. Donald's grandson, Ross '17, spoke about his grandfather's generosity, “Providing opportunity is what my grandfather is great at doing, and Lakefield is also good at doing so. It only makes sense for the two to be connected and intertwined.”

The Parent Family announced their leadership support of this project in May of 2019. The gift was made by Marc Parent P’15, P’18, P’20 in honour of his three children Alexandre ’15, Sabrina ’18, and Stephanie ’20 in gratitude for the indelible mark the school has left on their lives. At the opening ceremony, Marc shared, “I can think of no better way to honour what Lakefield did for my family than to create the opportunity for more kids to enjoy this magical place.” 

Alexandre ’15, also present on the day, remarked, “Every house has its own character and I can’t wait to see Parent House develop its own through the generations of students it will house. A nice house is not what makes Lakefield special, however. What makes Lakefield special isn’t something tangible. It’s its people, its culture, its soul.”

The entire LCS community is deeply appreciative of Barb and Tom Ryder ’53, Susan and Tom Stevenson ’78, Joe and Dorothy Barbaro P’04, P’07, and two additional (anonymous) individuals for their significant funding support of this project. 

Our community is grateful to local architects alumnus Bill Lett ’92 (father of Petra ’23 and Audrey ’26) and Michael Gallant, of Lett Architects, for their building design. The double residence is intentionally situated on the lower north side of campus, adjacent to Rashleigh House and Colebrook House, allowing students to enjoy the views toward Lake Katchewanooka and our beautiful woodland forest. In addition, the spacious common rooms, large house kitchens, and dedicated day student spaces are designed to fulfill a new standard that includes day students and staff as part of every house group and will help support a strong sense of community.

The construction of Ross House and Parent House was identified as a priority project in the school’s strategic plan. The addition of these two new houses allows LCS to welcome outstanding boarding students to our community while also taking the necessary time to upgrade and renovate our existing residences.

Thank you to XBMC Project Management, led by Vanessa Rogers and the Mortlock Construction team, led by Craig Mortlock for the beautiful building. The double residence is surrounded by nature and embraces innovative sustainability practices inspired by the Leadership in Energy and Environment Design Principles. Ross House and Parent House feature a rainwater recovery system, improved thermal performance, upgraded insulation, and a steel roof. We are also keen to share that the trees cleared for the construction of the building were repurposed into finishings within the building and for new Harkness discussion tables that students have already enjoyed using this year. 

Lakefield College School extends its most heartfelt thanks to the Parent Family and the Ross Family for the incredible impact their generosity has had on the school in making this dream a reality. Countless students, today and in the future, will benefit enormously from the remarkable gift of Ross House and Parent House and the transformative relationships that will be forged within each house.