In view of the injustices committed in Canada’s Residential School System and the system’s association with Egerton Ryerson, we are asking the TDSB to change the name of Ryerson Public School. We don’t have schools named after people who contributed to other injustices, immortalizing Ryerson is a continued affront to survivors and their descendants. We call on the TDSB with this petition to begin the process of renaming Ryerson Public School in the fall of 2021 and to have the process completed by the spring of 2022. Like Shirley Chisholm once said “You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.”

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission - which was created to delve into the long history of the residential schools - concluded that at least 4,100 children died in these institutions. More than 1,100 have been identified to date in just three schools. We still don't know how many more will be found at the 139 former Residential Schools across Canada (link: go to page 6/12). Many of the children in these schools lost their lives; many more were abused in terrible ways. Even though Eggerton Ryerson is seen as the father of the Canadian school system, he - critically - is also acknowledged as the father of the Residential Schools; which conducted a cultural genocide according to the Truth and Reconciliation Report of 2015. The TDSB’s Ryerson Public School is named after Egerton Ryerson. As we don’t name schools, or stadiums after people who have done wrong to so many - regardless of their other accomplishments - we should not have an elementary school that bares Ryerson’s name.

Show your support for changing the name of Ryerson Public School by signing the petition.