More Than a School. A Way to Live.
For more than a century, Athol Murray College of Notre Dame students have been shaped by faith, hard work, and community. When students step onto our campus in Wilcox, Saskatchewan, they feel a sense of welcomeness, ambition and belonging. Notre Dame is the little school on the Canadian prairies where students are called to something bigger than themselves. This is where days are full, expectations are high, and young people discover what they are truly capable of—minds sharpened by purposeful academics, character shaped by shared values, and ambition tested through performance in the rink, on the court, in the classroom, and in the community. A Canadian independent co-educational boarding school for students in grades 9 to 12, 85% of Notre Dame’s 300 students are boarders and 86% of those boarders are Canadian.
Our Story: “Struggle and Emerge”
Founded over 105 years ago, Notre Dame rose out of the prairie through the faith and imagination of the Sisters of Charity of St. Louis and Père Athol Murray, who believed education should shape both mind and character. His call to “Skate, you Hounds, skate!” became more than a rink-side shout; it became a way of living—work hard, serve others, and never stop striving to “struggle and emerge.”
Today, that founding spirit is still alive in every Hound who chooses the harder right over the easier wrong, shows up for others, and learns to lead with purpose, grit and pride.
President’s Welcome
Welcome to a truly unique school. A place intellectually, physically, and spiritually as rich as the Canadian soil on which it stands. A school living a mission devoted to nurturing and empowering young adults, female and male, to find their path through life and faith to become productive, contributing leading members of their communities. Athol Murray College of Notre Dame’s motto is “Struggle and Emerge,” and there is no more apt preparation for a life in the 21st century.
Father Athol Père Murray came to Wilcox to realize a vision of education as a way to transform the lives of boys and girls and, in doing so, to transform the communities from which they came and to which they will go. For over a century, lives and communities have been transformed by Notre Dame Hounds. What we strive to do was articulated by Père Murray in his description of ‘The Notre Dame Hound’:
The world today is looking for men and women,
Who are not for sale
Who are honest, sound from centre to circumference, true to the heart’s core
With consciences as steady as the needle to the pole
Who will stand for the right if the heavens totter and the earth reels
Who can tell the truth and look the world right in the eye
Who neither brag nor run
Who neither flag nor flinch
Who can have courage without shouting it
In whom the courage of everlasting life runs still, deep and strong
Who know their message and tell it
Who know their place and fill it
Who know their business and attend to it
Who will not lie, shirk or dodge
Who are not too lazy to work, nor too proud to be poor
Who are willing to eat what they have earned and wear what they have paid for
Who are not ashamed to say “No” with emphasis
God is looking for them. He wants those who can unite together around a common faith—who can join hands in a common task – and who have come to the kingdom for such a time as this. God give us such as them.
Not only will they be better prepared to fulfil their duties as citizens, they should make better friends, better husbands and fathers, better wives and mothers because free people do. They will, in short, be better prepared to live, and when their hour comes, they will know better how to die because free people do.
The faith Père Murray refers to is an inclusive, ecumenical faith tradition rooted in our Catholic heritage but embracing of all faith traditions and individual spiritual journeys.
This is who we are and this is why we join together as a community dedicated to transforming lives and creating paths to successful, fulfilling, and purposeful lives for our graduates.
To live such a noble and uplifting mission and vision for a better tomorrow is why I am a part of the Notre Dame family.
If you too value the future, believe in the power of education to ground a successful life, and want to provide your son or daughter the opportunity to become someone who lives a life of virtue, of character, and of service, then you too will find that Notre Dame College is the right place for your daughter or son.
Charlie Skipper, PhD
President, Athol Murray College of Notre Dame
Investing in the Future—Of Notre Dame and Our Hounds
Notre Dame is not a school that stands still. We continue to invest in forward-thinking programs that future-proof both the College and the young people entrusted to us: data-informed learning through tools like MAP Growth; an expanding AP pathway; renewed support for EAL learners; immersive, student-initiated projects; flexible online options for high-performance student-athletes; and the distinctive Notre Dame Diploma that recognizes sustained excellence in academics, leadership, service, and extracurricular life.
These commitments ensure that Hounds are shaped not only for today’s expectations, but for tomorrow’s opportunities—prepared to navigate change, contribute meaningfully, and lead with integrity in whatever arena they choose.
A Lifelong Hounds Community
Graduation is not an ending; it is a handoff to a global Hounds alumni community found in classrooms, clinics, businesses, rinks, and communities across Canada and around the world. Notre Dame’s influence is felt wherever Hounds bring their work ethic, their faith, their loyalty, and their sense of responsibility to others.
From a small prairie vision to a nationally recognized boarding school, the purpose remains the same: to form young people who will struggle, emerge, and use their gifts in service of something greater than themselves.
Hockey, Athletics and Academic Excellence
Life at Notre Dame is intentionally full. Students learn in small classes with teachers who know them by name. Days are shaped by study, training, chapel, service, and life in school dorms. The result is more than a transcript—it’s judgment, resilience, and confidence that helps to prepare every student for a full rewarding life.
Our roots in hockey and academic excellence run deep. Notre Dame is widely recognized for its hockey tradition and for the countless Hounds who have gone on to junior, collegiate, and professional levels—including the NHL—while staying grounded in their studies and their values. At the same time, we are committed to strong, disciplined academics that build critical thinking and the habits that make students successful in any field.
Athletics here is never separate from learning—it amplifies it. Whether in hockey, basketball, volleyball, rugby or the classroom, Hounds test themselves daily, learn to be great teammates, and discover that character shows up when things are hard.
Vision & Mission
Our Vision
Athol Murray College of Notre Dame is committed to developing young men and women to become purposeful leaders with virtuous character.
Our Mission
Athol Murray College of Notre Dame provides an exceptional educational and boarding experience with a balance of strong academic, athletic and spiritual growth in a safe and caring prairie environment.
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