Located in North York, Ontario, Canada, Crawford Adventist Academy (CAA) boasts a rich, long standing history dating back to the 1950s when it was first established as Toronto Junior Academy. Created by the faithful members of the Willowdale Seventh-day Adventist Church as an elementary school Grades 1-6 in 1953, it was expanded into a larger facility a year later, thanks, in part to the generous donation of philanthropist, Dr. Erwin Crawford. Operated by the Toronto Adventist District School Board, the corporate body formed in 1978, Crawford remains “Committed to Excellence in Christian Education” and upholds the principles and values of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in nurturing students to achieve academic excellence and to establish a close, personal relationship with God within a Christ-centred, safe, learning environment.
As enrollment at Toronto Junior Academy (TJA) grew, the school was expanded to include Junior High School (Grades 7-8). In the 1980-81 school year, Grade 11 was added followed by Grade 12 in 1981-82. The new and improved school was renamed Crawford Adventist Academy in honour of Dr. Erwin Crawford. In 1995, Junior Kindergarten was added to CAA Elementary in response to overwhelming community demand. The JK & SK full-day program spots are coveted and continue to operate at capacity every year.