Baron Byng High School was located at 4251 St. Urbain Street, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was named after the Julian Hedworth George Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy, the Governor General of Canada from 1921 to 1926. Byng was a World War I hero at the battle of Vimy Ridge, an important battle that many historians, like Pierre Berton, believe formed Canada's national character. Byng was also involved in a political scandal dealing with the succession of the Canadian Government, the King-Byng Affair in 1926.
From the 1920s through the 1950s, the school predominately catered to Montreal's lower-income Jewish population. From the 1980s onwards, the building was the home of the non-profit community organization Sun Youth (Jeunesse au soleil).[1]
Baron Byng High School is notable because it had a virtual who's who of Canada's academic, arts, business and political leaders. It has been immortalized in many books, including many by Mordecai Richler.
Contents |