Parks Canada Recognizes the National Historic Significance of Fr. Henry Carr, CSB

Fr. Henry Carr, CSB ensured that Canadian Catholic higher education remained just as relevant in the 21st century as it was in the early 20th century by placing an importance on friendship, liberal arts, and academic excellence. These three lessons were shared by Fr. George Smith, CSB, superior general, in his address at the dedication ceremony to recognize the national historic significance of Fr. Henry Carr.

On November 29, 2012, the former Minister of the Environment and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, The Honourable Peter Kent, announced plans to recognize Fr. Henry Carr. These plans culminated in a dedication ceremony held on the University of St. Michael’s campus on June 4, 2017 and commemorated by Marco Mendicino, Member of Parliament for Eglinton – Lawrence, on behalf of Catherine McKenna, the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada. In attendance were members of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, of St. Michael’s College, and of the Congregation of St. Basil.

Fr. Carr is well known for enabling students of St. Michael’s College, a small liberal arts Catholic college, matriculate into the fully federated University of Toronto, a model that has been adopted at universities elsewhere in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia. Along with Etienne Gilson, Fr. Edmond McCorkell, CSB, and Gerald Phelan, he founded the internationally renowned Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies in Toronto in 1929.