Robert Land Academy, now-shut private school in Ontario, under police investigation for alleged child abuse
Posted on: Mar 31, 2026 00:58 IST | Posted by: Cbc
henry m. Robert shore honorary society in Ontario's niagara falls Region operated from 1978 to 2025. On Monday, Peel Regional Police announced its heading an investigation into allegations of child abuse.
WARNING: This story contains allegations of child abuse and sexual exploitation.
Peel Regional Police are leading an investigation into allegations of child abuse at Robert Land Academy, a military-style school that operated in Ontario's Niagara Region from 1978 to 2025.
The special victims unit is heading the investigation, police announced Monday.
"Investigators are seeking to speak with anyone who may have any information related to alleged abuse at the academy," police said in a news release, adding anyone with information can contact investigators or Peel Crime Stoppers.
Dozens of former students of the private boys' boarding school in Lincoln have previously alleged physical and emotional abuse, and in some cases, sexual exploitation.
In a statement of defence filed in response to one lawsuit, Robert Land denied all of the allegations. The academy says that if any abuse, assaults or exploitation did happen, it was not the school’s fault.
Robert land announced a year ago next month that it would be closing, but didn’t mention the abuse allegations as a reason, saying the move was due to declining enrolment — including fewer international students — and rising costs.
The school has filed for bankruptcy, with financial documents showing an estimated $135 million needed for litigation and “claims against the company.”
Thousands of families sent their children to the boarding school over the decades. Tuition for each student was in the tens of thousands of dollars a year.
The allegations haven't been proven in court.
About two dozen former Robert Land students gathered at Queen’s Park in the fall to demand tighter regulation of Ontario’s private schools.
At the time, Education Minister Paul Calandra's press secretary, Emma Testani, said the province's oversight role of private schools is limited to checking those that are wishing to grant high school credits. She said anyone with allegations of abuse and criminal activities should contact police.
If you’re affected by this report, you can look for mental health support through resources in your province or territory . If you’re in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.
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