The original school was designed by the Toronto architectural firm of
Craig and Madill and construction started in November 1929. The building officially opened in 1930 as
Earl Haig Collegiate Institute. Additions were made in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. In 1961, the school changed its name from Earl Haig Collegiate Institute to Earl Haig Secondary School. It is currently the largest high school in the
Toronto District School Board and the oldest high school in the former City of
North York. The Claude Watson Arts Program began in 1982. The program consists of dance, drama, music, film arts, and visual arts. In 1996, the original building was demolished in sections to make way for a new building. This new building was designed around the original auditorium, Cringan Hall. Carruthers Shaw and Partners Limited, the same company that designed buildings at Queen's University and Upper Canada College, designed the new building and
Bondfield Construction were contracted to build the school. The new building was officially opened in September 1997 at a cost of $30,800,000. ==Claude Watson Arts Program==