Loyola College traces its roots to an English-language program at the Jesuit Collège Sainte-Marie de Montréal (today part of the Université du Québec à Montréal) at the Sacred Heart Convent. In 1896, Loyola College was established at the corner of Bleury Street and Saint Catherine Street. Loyola College was named in honour of Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus. In 1898, following a fire, the college was relocated, further west on Drummond Street, south of Saint Catherine. On March 10, 1899, the institution was incorporated by the Government of Quebec and became a full-fledged college. Although founded as a "collège classique" (the forerunners of Quebec's college system), Loyola began granting university degrees through Université Laval in 1903.