Trustees voted unanimously in favor of the change, choosing to temporarily use the name Haysboro High School and begin a process to replace the name with something more permanent
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After weeks of collecting feedback from stakeholders, including the Indigenous community, the Calgary Catholic School District has decided to change the name of Bishop Grandin High School.
Trustees voted unanimously in favour of the change at a special meeting Monday, choosing to temporarily use the name Haysboro High School and begin a process to replace the name with something permanent this fall.
Officials said the decision was made following in-depth consultations with Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous elders, Catholic bishops, parents, guardians, students and staff.
“Our board is very thankful for everyone that participated in our school renaming consultation process,” said Chair Mary Martin.
“Your input not only helped our board make an informed decision but has also sparked important conversations and has raised awareness on this very important topic.”
CCSD officials added that Indigenous education will remain a board priority, focusing on nurturing successful relationships with Indigenous communities.
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A permanent replacement name will be brought to the board after a naming process is completed with various community representatives, including those from the Indigenous community.
In a statement, CCSD added the district will also continue to honour a shared commitment to educating the school community about Indigenous history and culture and work together towards truth and reconciliation.
“The Calgary Catholic School District is deeply sorry for the pain and trauma that this school name has brought to the community,” said chief superintendent Bryan Szumlas. “Engaging stakeholders from the former Bishop Grandin School, to come up with a replacement name, will be our top priority.
“It is our hope that a replacement name will go to the board of trustees for their approval in late September or early October. Consultation takes time and we want to come up with a replacement name to help this community heal.”
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Vital-Justin Grandin was a Roman Catholic priest and bishop who is said to have brought the idea of increasing the size of the country’s residential school system, specifically in Western Canada, directly to Prime Minister John A. Macdonald after seeing similar institutions in France.
Questions have been raised about having schools named for historic figures connected with the residential school system after the discovery of the remains of 215 Indigenous children at a former Kamloops residential school in May.
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Last week the remains of 751 people, mostly children, were also discovered at a former residential school site in Saskatchewan.
As part of the stakeholder engagement, Wanda First Rider, an elder who works with CCSD’s Indigenous education team, encouraged the district to address the Bishop Grandin name change.
First Rider explained that the devastating discovery of children’s remains “opened our shared memories and the horrific experiences we share as survivors of Indian residential schools in Canada.
“The loss of these valuable children’s lives has expanded our conscious awareness, and that includes the name change of Bishop Grandin High School.”
First Rider will work with CCSD over the summer to consider different possible names for the high school, located in the community of East Haysboro.
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“We will continue to work in consultation with our Indigenous community to promote authentic change and arrive at a shared perspective and influence change and the historical loss of our Indigenous ways.”
Earlier this month, the Calgary Board of Education changed the name of Langevin School to Riverside School. Hector-Louis Langevin is known as one of the architects of the residential school system.
After the discovery of the 215 Indigenous children, Mayor Naheed Nenshi scolded the school boards for moving too slowly on the name change, saying “the time for dithering” was long past.
The City of Calgary had changed the name of Langevin Bridge to Reconciliation Bridge in January 2017.
On Monday, Nenshi applauded the Catholic school district for its decision.
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“This kind of symbolism really does matter,” Nenshi said.
“I’m really pleased the Catholic school board has made this decision. They seemed to have done so in the right way. They talked to elders, they got lots of advice, and they put a temporary name in place until they can properly rename the school.
“That all feels right to me.”
Meanwhile, the Edmonton Catholic School Division voted to change the name of Grandin Elementary School and will begin the process to select a new name by this fall.
Board chairwoman Sandra Palazzo said recent discoveries of unmarked graves at residential schools have caused Canadians to reflect on the impact of historical names.
The Edmonton school was named more than 105 years ago and Palazzo said it is clear it no longer upholds current societal values.
“It is incumbent upon us to ensure we are not honouring any aspect of the legacy of the residential school system or further traumatizing members of the Indigenous communities we presently serve,” she said. “We strongly believe that truth must be acknowledged to move forward to reconciliation.
“Together we call upon all our collective communities to build a stronger understanding of all peoples who dwell on this land we call home.”
— With files from Madeline Smith
eferguson@postmedia.com
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