House System
At Northmount School for Boys, our House System is the backbone for creating, maintaining, and fostering a close-knit community across all grade levels.
At the beginning of the academic year, new students are inducted into one of the four Houses of which they remain a part of throughout their Northmount tenure. Each house represents a Canadian individual who has had a significant impact in their respective fields and exemplifies the qualities that we wish to see in our graduates.
Vanier House is named after Georges Vanier, who was a Canadian soldier and diplomat, decorated with the Military Cross for gallantry during the first world war. He also served as Governor General of Canada, the 19th since Canadian Confederation and the first French-Canadian to hold the position.
Banting House is named after Frederick Banting, who was a Canadian medical scientist, doctor and winner of the 1923 Nobel Prize for Medicine, noted as one of the co-discoverers of insulin alongside Charles Best. Their discovery led to the saving of untold numbers of lives.
Orr House is named after Bobby Orr, who is considered to be one of the greatest hockey players of all time. He played his National Hockey League career with the Boston Bruins, revolutionizing the position of defenseman. Orr was born in Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada, and displayed his hockey talents from an early age.
Fox House is named after Terry Fox, who was a Canadian humanitarian, athlete, and cancer treatment activist. He became famous for the Marathon of Hope, a cross-Canada run to raise money for cancer research, which Fox heroically ran with one prosthetic leg. To date over $800 million has been raised for cancer research in Terry's name.
The Knighting Ceremony and House System help all of our boys to feel a sense of community. Especially for new students, the House System helps them quickly develop a feeling of belonging as they quickly bond with their new house mates. Together they will work for years to achieve a common goal: winning the House Cup!
KNIGHTING CEREMONY
At the commencement of the school year, the Agora, our central meeting place, is transformed into a knighting chamber. The existing members of the three houses sit in place, while the entering students are called one at a time and are trans-formed from recently accepted students into newly-minted knights and pledge loyalty to Northmount and one of the four houses. As the House Master calls their name, the boy approaches the stage wrapped in the school's banner, and then kneels to be inducted.
The Northmount sword is tapped on each of the young men's shoulders, and the House Master exclaims, "May you be a faithful friend, a worthy opponent, strong in deeds, and a saint in God's service". Following this, the student is assigned a House for life! All cheer and the new House Mates embrace their fellow members.