ONTARIO
.256
ONTARIO
archdiocese in 1SS9. The Diocese of Toronto^erected in
1S41, became an archdiocese in 1870. The Diocese of
Ottawa, erected in 1847, became an archdiocese in
1886. The Province liiis now seven suffragan sees,
Hamilton, London, Pembroke, TemiskaminK (Vicari-
ate), Pet<}rborough, Alexandria, and Sault Saintc
Marie. Portions of Ottawa, Pembroke, and Temis-
kaming arc in Quebec; the other dioceses are wholly in
Ontario. Diocesan priests number 383; priests of
religious orders, 244 (1910).
The Catholic population in 1871 was 274,162; in 1881, 321,162; in 1891, 358,300; in 1901, 390,304; and in 1910 (est.), 450,000. Of these, 190,000 (est.), resiiling chiefly in Eastern Ontario, Essex, Nipissing, and -Vlgoma, are French Canadians: the remainder principally of Irish descent. The Apostolic Delegate to Canada resides at Ottawa. The headquarters of the Catholic Church Extension Society of Canada (canonically established) are at Toronto. Catholic charitable institutions are numerous, and receive a fair share of government and municipal aid. As a mi- nority, Catholics have reason to be satisfied with their status and recent treatment.
Education. — .\t Confederation the British North America Act conferred on the pro\-ince power to deal with education, saving rights and privileges, with re- spect to denominational schools then enjoyed. Dur- ing the union of Protestant Upper Canada (Ontario) and Catholic Lower Canada (Quebec), from 1841 to 1867, provision was made for denominational schools for the religious minority in each province. The On- tario Separate Schools law, fundamentally as it stands to-day, was enacted in 1863. The rights then con- ferred on the Catholic minority are therefore constitu- tional.
Eipcnditure. — The educational system is adminis- tered by the Department of Education. Out of $8,- 891,004.68 revenue, the Government in 1910 expended on education, exclusive of money spent through the Department of Agriculture, $2,220,796.75. In 1909 (1910 returns incomplete) $8,782,302.51 was raised by local taxation for primary and secondary educa- tion.
System. — The system embraces free primary educa- tion in public and separate schools; intermediate edu- cation in high schools, partly free; and university training at shght cost to the student. Every person between the ages of five and twenty-one years may, every child between eight and fourteen, unless law- fully excused, must, attend a public or separate school. The courses of study and textbooks are controlled by the Department, which sanctions for separate schools only books approved by the CathoUc authorities. Subject to departmental regulations, primary schools are managed by trustees locally elected, there being distinct boards for public and separate schools. Every teacher must hold a certificate of qualification from a provincial normal school. With its own taxes the municipahty collects for each board the amount it re- quires for its purposes. For public schools, attended in 1910 by 401,268 pupils, government aid was $731,- 160.99 and local taxation (1909) $6,565,987.90. For separate schools, attended in 1910 by 55,034 pupils, government aid was $53,033.63 and local taxation (1909) $764,779.56. Where CathoUcs are the majority they sometimes use and control pubhc schools; in some localities they are too few to support a separate school. The separate school attendance is therefore substan- tially less than the number of Catholic school children.
High Schooh.~FoT High Schools attended in 1910, by .33,101 pupils, government aid was $1.57,.383.03, and local taxation (1909) $1,451,535.05. There is no legal provision for separate high schools. On its Normal College (Hamilton) and two normal schools at Toronto and Ottawa the Government spent in 1910, $208,524.11, training 1198 students.
Separate Schools Law. — Catholic separate schools
are easily established. Their supporters are legally
exempt from public school taxation. They elect their
own trustees, who determine their rate of school taxa-
tion. Catholic teachers are employed and Catholic re-
ligious training is given. Separate school inspectors
are speciallly appointed by the Government. Many
of the teachers are Christian Brothers and Sisters of
teaching orders, all holding government certificates.
At the government examinations (1910) for entrance
to liigli scluKils, in Toronto the percentage of pubhc
school candidates who passed was 54.69; that of sepa-
rate school candidates was 57.81.
Universities. — The University of Toronto is sup- ported by the Government. In 1910 it had 4000 stu- dents. The revenue from succession duties, in 1910, $519,999.27, is devoted to it; it also received $15,000 for the faculty of education. With it is affihated St. Michael's College, Toronto, conducted by the Basilian Fathers, the students of which in 1910 numbered over 250. The university is unsectarian. Catholic stu- dents take lectures in philosophy and history at St. Michael's. There are also: the Western University, London; Queen's (Presbyterian), Kingston; and Mc- Master (Baptist), Toronto. Victoria College (Meth- odist), Wycliffe (Anglican), Knox (Presbyterian), Trin- ity (.\nglican), all at Toronto, are affiliated with the University of Toronto. Queen's University receives $42,000 from the Government for a school of mining, and $10,.500 for its faculty of education.
The Catholic University of Ottawa, conducted by the Oblate Fathers, with complete French and English courses and, in 1910, 547 students, receives no govern- ment aid. It holds a charter from the Papal Court as well as from the province.
There are other Cathohc colleges: Regiopolis at Kingston, conducted by secular priests; St. Jerome's, at BerUn, by Fathers of the Resurrection, and Assump- tion, at Sandwich, by Basilians. In nearly every city and town there is a good convent school. In Toronto a Catholic Seminary for ecclesiastical education, capable of accommodating, at first 1 10, and later 310 students, the gift of Mr. Eugene O'Keefe, Private Chamberlain to His Holiness, is in course of construction. Ottawa has a diocesan seminary.
Marriage and Divorce. — By the British North America Act, marriage and divorce is assigned to the Dominion Parliament, while the solemnization of mar- riage is made a subject of provincial jurisdiction. Marriage. — Under the Ontario Marriage Act, mar- riage may be solemnized by "the ministers and clergy- men of every church and rehgious denomination, duly ordained or appointed". Special provisions are made for the Congregations of God or of Christ, the Salva- tion Army, the Farringdon Independent Church, the Brethren, and the Society of Friends. There is no pro- vision for purely civil marriage. The person solemniz- ing marriage must be "a resident of Canada". The marriage must be preceded by pubUcation of banns, or authorized by a licence, or certificate of the Provin- cial Secretary, issued by a local issuer appointed by the Government. Unless necessary to prevent ille- gitimacy, the marriage of any person under fourteen is prohibited. To obtain a licence for the marriage of a person under eighteen, not a widower or widow, con- sent of the father if resident in Ontario, and if not, of the mother if so resident, or of the guardian (if any), is required. Marriage within any degree of consangum- ity closer than that of first cousins is prohibited. But by statute of Canada, marriage with a sister of a de- ceased wife or with a daughter of a deceased wife's sister is legalized; yet marriage with a daughter of a de- ceased wife's brother, with a brother of a deceased hus- band, and with a deceased husband's nephew remains illegal. The validity of marriage depends on the lex loci contractus.
Divorce. — There is no Divorce Court. Divorce can be obtained only by Act of the Dominion Parliament,
