Committee to review name of Winnipeg school named for residential school leader

The Pembina Trails School Division said it is considering changing the name of Ryerson School.

WINNIPEG -

The Pembina Trails School Division has taken another step towards the possible name change of one its schools, which is named after one of the architects of the residential school system

On Thursday evening, the division voted unanimously to appoint a committee to review the name of Ryerson School.

According to school trustees, the review is in response to students and community members bringing forward concerns about the name. The school is named after Egerton Ryerson, an architect of Canada’s residential school system.

The committee had been directed to report back to the board as soon as possible.

CALLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

A number of communities across the country have been calling for name changes to buildings with namesakes linked to residential schools.

In Winnipeg, there have been calls to change the name of Bishop Grandin Boulevard and Greenway, due to Bishop Vital Justin Grandin’s support of the residential school system.

CTV News Winnipeg also previously that the Frontier School Division in northern Manitoba is renaming Oscar Blackburn School, located in South Indian Lake, Man.

“It was discovered that Oscar Blackburn, who was a well-liked teacher, in his later duties as general merchant of the community helped gather up the First Nation children to send them off to residential school,” said superintendent Reg Klassen in an email.

Klassen said the community, chief and councillors will choose a new name for the school, but that healing needs to occur first.

- With files from CTV’s Charles Lefebvre.