HWDSB trustee calls for Ryerson Elementary School to be renamed

A trustee with Hamilton's public school board is calling for Ryerson Elementary School to be renamed and has filed a notice of motion asking for a review of all schools named after individuals.

Cam Galindo, who is the trustee for Wards 9 and 10 and also acts as vice-chair of the board, shared a copy of the motion on Monday afternoon, ahead of the June 7 meeting of the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB).

"We are still on a path to truth and reconciliation," Galindo said on Twitter. "School names must reflect human rights, decolonization, anti-racism and anti-oppression principles!"

The motion states that Ryerson is named for Egerton Ryerson, "architect of the residential school system in Canada," adding the policy "ripped Indigenous children from their families."

It points to preliminary findings from a survey of the grounds at the former residential school in Kamloops that the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation in B.C. said last Thursday revealed the remains of 215 children — some as young as three years old.

Galindo says that the HWDSB must continue working on Indigenous education to ensure Indigenous students feel valued and recognized.

School names should reflect the HWDSB's "values and commitments," Galindo said in his motion. He also referenced the board's own school naming procedure policy, which states underrepresented groups should be reflected when appropriate.

The motion calls for Ryerson's name to be removed and a renaming committee be set up in consultation with the HWDSB Indigenous team and community.

The motion is similar to a push to rename Ryerson University in Toronto out of respect for residential school survivors.

The downtown Toronto university is also named for Ryerson. The university has previously stated that Ryerson's ideas did help contribute to the system that has since been described as a "cultural genocide" and acknowledged the need to commit to respectful relationships with Indigenous students.

Galindo's motion states that board staff shouldn't stop at Ryerson and instead carry out a review of all schools named after people to make sure they reflect its mission and values.