In 1899, Reverend Fitzpatrick began teaching labourers from lumber, mining, and railway camps out of a log cabin in Nairn, Ontario although he had no staff, some parish assistance, and little money. He founded the Frontier College in 1899 with his colleagues at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. Fitzpatrick developed the idea of the Labourer-Teacher who work alongside the labourers during the day and teaches them in the evenings.