J. Addison School

Canada is a sovereign country located in North America. With a size of 9,984,670 km2 , it is the world’s second-largest country by total area. It is geographically composed of 10 provinces and 3 territories, Ottawa being the country’s capital.
Canada is a federal state governed by a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy, with Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state. The country is bilingual (English and French) and multicultural with a population of 36 million. Canada has a public healthcare system available to all Canadian citizens.

It was also the first country in the world to adopt multiculturalism as an official policy; it welcomes different cultures and embraces diversity. That’s why Canada is one of the world’s most developed nations, and is one of the Top 10 Best Countries to Live In according to United Nation’s Human Development Index (UN Development Programme (UNDP), Human Development Report 2015: Work for Human Development, 2015, ISBN 978-92-1-126398-5, available at: http://report.hdr.undp.org/ [accessed 11 April 2016]).

Canada's national tree is the maple tree. Every autumn, we enjoy the beauty of the fall colours, with the maple leaves changing from green to brilliant red, yellow and orange, just like in a Chinese painting. For this reason, Canada has been named the “Maple Leaf Country”. The maple leaf is symbolic of Canadian culture, displayed in bright red and centered on Canada’s national flag.

Located in the southeastern part of the province of Ontario, on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario, Toronto is one of Canada's largest cities and is the provincial capital of Ontario. The city has historically been the cultural and economic centre of Canada, and a major transportation hub in the heart of the country's manufacturing district. Toronto enjoys a reputation as one of the most diverse cities in the world; its cosmopolitan and international population reflects its role as a popular destination for immigrants to Canada.  In term of the percentage of non-native born residents, Toronto is one of the world's most diverse cities, with about 49% of the population born outside Canada. Toronto's leading economic sectors include finance, business services, transportation, telecommunications, aerospace, arts, media, publishing, software production, medical research, education, tourism, and engineering.

Weather-wise, Toronto has four distinct seasons: a relatively short spring, a wet and hot summer, with occasional thunderstorms, a pleasant and sunny autumn, and an often cold and snowy winter.

Ontario is Canada's cultural and educational center, with 40 public and private universities.  The province features several esteemed institutions of higher learning, including the world-famous University of Toronto, York University, University of Waterloo, McMaster University, Queen's University, and the University of Western Ontario.

Toronto is called “Toronto the Good” because of its low crime rate and well organized neighborhoods. The relatively safe and serene nature of the city makes it a very desirable place to live for people from all over the world.

Markham is one of the fastest growing cities in Ontario, and it has a unique amalgamation of old and new. This is where you’ll find a historic town with heritage that dates back to the 1700’s, as well as multinational technology company headquarters, and the new state-of-the-art Pan Am athletic center. J. Addison is the only international boarding school located in the City of Markham. Just a few minutes north of Toronto, we have a small town feel but big city convenience.