Calgary Board of Education adopts policy on changing names of schools
The Calgary Board of Education (CBE) approved a policy this week that will guide the board going forward on how to change the names of public schools.
The policy comes after Langevin School — named for residential school architect Hector-Louis Langevin — was renamed Riverside School earlier this month.
Public schools in Calgary can be considered for renaming through two processes.
First, a petition with at least 5,000 signatures can be presented to the CBE board, asking for the school to be renamed.
Second, the board can choose to rename a school if they decide the name does not align with its commitment to a “safe, respectful and inclusive learning environment,” the policy states. The board also created two new committees for renaming schools: one to review existing names and other to decide on names for new schools.
CBE voted to change the name of Langevin School on June 1, following the discovery of 215 Indigenous children on the grounds of a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C.
"We did not move as quickly to deal with the situation [as] I feel we could have and should have,” said CBE trustee Richard Hehr.
The board hopes this new policy and committee will ensure a timely effective process for future school name changes.
Trustee Julie Hrdlicka raised concerns that the public had not been properly consulted on the new renaming policy.
"We have said we are prioritizing inclusion and diversity and have made commitments to anti-racism through CBE cares," she said.
"Yet, we have not at any point engaged with the Elders Advisory Council or CBE Cares Advisory or its members while we were writing this policy."
Hrdlicka brought a motion to extend second reading and approval of the policy to the end of summer, allowing for more consultation time. The motion failed.
Hrdlicka also asked for the petition signature requirement to be lowered, saying it was an unnecessary barrier and pointing out that the petition to rename Langevin had less than 5,000 signatures, yet it was still renamed.
The motion to lower the signature threshold to 1,000 failed to pass.
The Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) is currently debating whether they will change the name of Bishop Grandin High School.
Grandin is credited with proposing the idea an aggressive expansion of the residential school program in Western Canada during the late 19th century. The school board ran surveys earlier this month where they found 79 per cent of respondents supported a name change.
A final decision on the future of Bishop Grandin High School’s name is expected to come at the end of the month.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.