History of Norval

The government purchased this land, in the north end of what is now Halton Region, from the Chiefs of the Otter and Eagle tribes of the Mississauga indigenous people. This had taken place in 1818 and was known as “Treaty 19.”

Lieutenant McNab built the first gristmill in the region, and soon the region became populated by tradesman and farmers looking for a place to start a new life. In 1868, Robert Noble, an experienced miller, purchased the mill and surrounding lands. He and his children ran the mill and rented out much of the 5,000 acres to tenant farmers. He gave his son, Dr. Robert Noble Jr., a tract of just over 500 acres to manage.

Dr. Noble lived in Toronto, although he did have a small bungalow on his property. He may well have found it tiring being landlord to four different farm families working his lands. In 1912, UCC began looking to relocate to a more rural setting. School representatives were introduced to Dr. Noble and his property north of Norval. Although UCC purchased the land from Dr. Noble in 1913, the relocation was delayed by the onset of the First World War, and the idea of moving the College to Norval was eventually dropped.