Telephone: (705) 748-1736
Fax: (705) 748-1721
E-mail: traill@trentu.ca
Mailing Address
Catharine Parr Traill College
Trent University
310 London Street
Peterborough, Ontario
K9H 7P4
Head of College: Dr. Douglas Evans
College Assistant: Deb Nichols, 748-1736
Senior Tutor: Christy Carlson, 748-1011-6035
Named in honour of the
noted author, botanist and pioneer settler of the Peterborough area,
Catharine Parr Traill College is one of the founding colleges of Trent
University. An integral part of the academic and social life of Trent
University as a whole, Traill College is also a self-contained and
active community, beautifully situated on a drumlin overlooking central
Peterborough.
For those who wish to be
involved both with the University and the local community, Traill College
is an attractive home. Regular and frequent bus service connects the
College with Symons Campus, while its central location gives easy
access to The 'Y', the Peterborough Public Library, art galleries,
movie theatres, live concerts, churches, restaurants and pubs.
The college consists of
a number of old houses of architectural and historic significance,
and one relatively modern building, Wallis Hall. Together, these buildings
provide residence and self-contained apartment accommodation for 192
students, accommodations for staff who live in the
college as residential dons and a guest suite for out of town guests. Teaching offices, seminar rooms, a lecture
hall and the Trent Centre for Community Based Education, are also housed in the various
college buildings. Only Kerr House, however, is devoted solely to academic
space. It houses the Margaret Laurence Library, the Larry Turner Ontario History Library, several study rooms including
the Alan Wilson Reading Room for Canadian Studies, the Frost Centre for Canadian and Native Studies and a well-equipped
microcomputer lab. The excellent facilities and quiet atmosphere make
Kerr House a comfortable working environment for many resident and
non-resident students.
In addition to being the base
for the academic departments of English, Cultural Studies and Canadian
Studies Traill has faculty members from most disciplines
in the arts and sciences. It is thus an active centre for teaching
and learning, not only for resident students, but also for Trent's
large number of non- resident students, many of whom live in the neighbourhoods
surrounding the College. An international flavour enhances activities
and learning at Traill College as it is home to students from over
different 30 countries.
All Traill students are
invited to participate in a variety of activities sponsored by the
College, from book-clubs and trips to Stratford, to coffee house performances.
An active Mentor Programme connects students with established volunteers
from the academic and local community. Study sessions for specific
academic areas are also organized through this group. The intellectual
life of the college is supplemented as well by a thriving visitors'
programme organized by students and faculty, which gives members of
the College the opportunity to meet informally with writers, artists,
professionals, politicians, musicians and scholars. Recent guests have
included Toronto Star columnist Linwood Barclay, Canadian writers Barbara
Gowdy and Ernest Hillen, international development economist Dr. Amiya
Kumar Bagchi, and Traill's 1999 Distinguished College Visitor in the
Arts, Frank Augustyn, former principal dancer with the National Ballet
of Canada.
The college's proximity
to downtown Peterborough has also permitted Traill students to be actively
involved in community cultural organizations such as the Peterborough
Symphony Orchestra and the Union Theatre, and in organizations working
for social change, such as the Kawartha World Issues Centre and Amnesty
International.
Active, responsible student
involvement has always been a feature of the college's life. Traill
students have assumed leadership roles in the University Senate and
the Trent Central Student Association, and true to the college's character,
have even campaigned in local politics. The College Cabinet plays an
important part in organizing academic and social activities for residents
and non-residents alike. Facilities at their disposal include the college
dining room (which is also used for movies, dances or concerts), The
Trend (the student-run pub), the Junior Common Room
and lounges.
