Naming schools after people, once a common tribute, may be banned: Trustee

London-area schools have long been named after people but that may become a thing of the past, according to the Thames Valley District school board’s chair, in a bid to avoid future flare-ups of controversy.

The latest flashpoint in London is John. A. Macdonald public school on Landor Street – where parents selected Carling Heights public school as its new name, a nod to its northeast London neighborhood and an 1800s-era brewery magnate, Sir John Carling, who once owned the land.

But Thames Valley trustees on Tuesday night rejected that name, citing the possibility that it may just create another headache for trustees down the road.

“(It) was turned down because it was named after a person,” said board chair Lori Ann Pizzolato. “We recognize and understand that the community is disappointed with the board’s decision and we truly, truly value public input from the community.”

But critics have warned about naming schools and other public institutions after individuals because of the potential for negative connotations years or even decades down the road. The Macdonaldcase is a perfect example.

He served as Canada’s first prime minister and died in 1891. Modern critics, however, have ripped his track record and one Thames Valley board official suggested pulling his name from the school due to “a history of racist and discriminatory exploits.”

The board did so. Pizzolato apologized that the chosen replacement, Carling Heights, was rejected and pledged better communication with families on such changes going forward. “Can we do a better job of supporting and communicating with our community about our expectations? One hundred per cent we can and we need to do better.”

At Tuesday’s debate, trustee Beth Mai led the push to vote down Carling Heights as the school name. “My primary concern is that we do not find ourselves a few years down the road renaming a school once again and spending $40,000 of taxpayer money,” which is the cost to rename a school.

This is all part of a sweeping school-name review across the Thames Valley board that began about two years ago.

Last month, an elementary school in northeast London long named for a US president, FD Roosevelt, was renamed Forest City elementary school. Roosevelt’s legacy “has limited relevance” to this community, board officials said at the time.

Last June, London’s former Ryerson elementary school was renamed Old North school. Egerton Ryerson, widely considered the father of public education in Ontario, also was one of the main architects of Canada’s Indigenous residential school system.

An unofficial count by The Free Press found nearly 50 of the roughly 160 Thames Valley schools, or one-third, are named after individuals.

The Catholic board is not immune to such controversies. Amid posthumous revelations of a sex scandal, Jean Vanier’s name was removed in 2021 from a London Catholic school in the city’s Westmount neighbourhood. It was renamed St. Rose of Lima.

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