Halton trustees choose new name for Ryerson Public School in Burlington

The Halton District School Board (HDSB) has unanimously selected a new name for Ryerson Public School in Burlington.

The board’s trustees say the new name is Makwendam Public School, which takes effect immediately. The HDSB will develop a plan to change school signage, website, sports uniforms, etc.

The name Makwendam, pronounced “muck-kwen-dum,” is the Indigenous word for “to remember” in the Anishinaabemowin language — an Indigenous expression of the Algonquian language family. Dialects of Ojibwemowin are spoken in Canada, ranging from southwestern Québec and throughout Ontario. It’s also articulated in Manitoba and parts of Saskatchewan.

“In their discussions, trustees considered that this name would honour the reason for renaming the school, that is, Egerton Ryerson’s involvement in the creation of the residential school system,” the HDSB wrote in a letter.

“There had been growing calls to remove Ryerson’s name from public buildings and institutions, and the HDSB has received formal requests to remove Ryerson’s name from the school.”

The HDSB’s decision comes as Toronto’s Ryerson University takes steps towards erasing the troubling connection to its namesake. The school announced it would be launching a three-week community input period to help choose a new name.

From Tuesday until December 7, 2021, community members can weigh in on the renaming process through an online survey, email, and via social media using hashtag #NextChapterName or through letter writing. Last August, Ryerson’s Board of Governors approved a motion to accept all 22 recommendations from a special task force to rename the school.

Egerton Ryerson is considered an architect of Canada’s residential school system, which aimed to convert and assimilate Indigenous children into white Canadian culture. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a probe into the long history of the residential schools, concluded that at least 4,100 children died in these institutions.

In August, the City of Burlington began asking residents to develop a new name for Ryerson Park. The city said it is renaming the park out of respect for Indigenous residents after discovering mass graves at former residential schools across the country.

“The choice of Makwendam Public School speaks directly to the purpose of renaming Ryerson Public School – as we as a country search for the lost children on residential school lands, we must remember, we must learn and be better,” stated Andréa Grebenc, Chair of the Halton District School Board.

“The Halton District School Board is committed to Indigenous Perspectives and Awareness, as outlined in our Strategic Multi-Year Plan commitments. We look forward to hearing the results of the City of Burlington’s naming process for the adjacent park.”

There are several local schools slated to be renamed, including Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary School in Waterloo and Ryerson Public School in Cambridge.

With files from Michael Talbot of CityNews