Ryerson Public School to be renamed Old North P.S.

Opting against two Indigenous names and in response to a poll of parents, the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) in Ontario has unanimously voted to rename Ryerson Public School to Old North P.S. 

Old North was the top choice of three names put forward in a poll of families with at least one student enrolled at the school.

The two other name options polled were: 

• Phyllis Webstad P.S. - An Indigenous woman and residential school survivor from B.C. whose book inspired Orange Shirt Day, an annual day to reflect upon the treatment of First Nations people in Canada.
• Murray Sinclair P.S - A former senator and lawyer who chaired Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

The school board held a survey of the three name options from Dec. 6 to Dec. 17, 2021, and again from Jan. 18 to Jan 21 this year.  A total of 363 parents were eligible to participate — each family got one vote — and 214 families voted on a list of three names put forward by the selection committee. 

The poll results were: 

• Old North P.S. 77 per cent approval.
• Phyllis Webstad P.S. 14 per cent approval.
• Murray Sinclair P.S. 9 per cent approval.

The Old North name, which echoes the name of the neighbourhood where the school is located, became official after all TVDSB trustees voted to support the selection committee's recommendation at Tuesday night's meeting. 

"I want to thank the Ryerson Public School community for their willingness to engage openly with this conversation around the naming of their school," said trustee Corrine Rahman. 

Rahman also expressed her gratitude towards Webstad and Sinclair for allowing their names to stand for the school and to be included in the survey.

"My hope is that we will find a way in the future to honour their work and their legacies," she added. 

Egerton Ryerson lived in the early 1800s and was involved in the creation of Canada's residential school system. A push to rename public spaces and institutions that bear his name gained momentum last year after the remains of 215 children were discovered buried on the grounds of a residential school in Kamloops, B.C. 

Sara Mai Chitty is an Anishinaabe writer and activist, and the Indigenous curriculum and pedagogy adviser at Western University's Office of Indigenous Initiatives.

Old North name a 'safe bet'

While she respects the choice, Chitty questions how much effort was put into educating the community about the legacies of Webstad and Sinclair. 

"It makes me wonder why those other names didn't resonate with families," she said. "I think it's maybe reflective of where the school is at in their own decolonizing and reconciliation journey." 

Chitty described the Old North name as a "safe bet," one unlikely to stir controversy. She said she's happy to see the school move away from the Ryerson name, something she stated "had to happen." 

While she believes that renaming the school Sinclair or Webstad would have been "an honour" for all Indigenous people in London, Chitty said what really matters is how Indigenous issues are dealt with inside the school. 

In November, Ryerson Public School in Burlington was renamed Makwendam — an Anishinaabemowin word meaning "to remember."

Ryerson University's board of directors voted in August to change the school's name, but has not yet chosen a replacement.