Toronto Board Renaming Macdonald, Dundas, Ryerson Schools Over ‘Connection to Systems of Oppression’

A statue of Canada's first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, is pictured on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on June 3, 2021. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick

Three Toronto schools named after Canadian historical figures—Henry Dundas, Egerton Ryerson, and Sir John A. Macdonald—will be renamed, the Toronto school board announced.

In a Jan. 27 procedure document, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) announced it will rename Dundas Junior Public School, Ryerson Community School, and Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute.

The board said the reason for the renaming is to address “the potential impact that these names may have on students and staff based on colonial history, anti-Indigenous racism, and their connection to systems of oppression.”

The renaming decision follows an October 2024 update to the TDSB’s policy on naming schools, teams, and other special-purpose areas. A section was added that called for a “critical review” of school names to align with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s “Calls to Action,” specifically those related to addressing Canada’s residential school system.

Efforts to remove the names and images of historical figures from public spaces across the country have been under way for several years. In some cases, statues and historical monuments have been vandalized, leading to criticism from politicians and other public figures who see the efforts as attempting to erase Canadian history.

Among the critics is Jennifer Dundas, a retired Crown prosecutor and distant relative of Henry Dundas, an 18th-century British home secretary whose role in abolishing slavery is debated by those who see him as either a pragmatic abolitionist or a barrier to reform. She previously called the City of Toronto’s December 2023 decision to rename Dundas Street “historically illiterate,” noting the politician’s role in efforts to end the transatlantic slave trade.

A Dundas Street West sign is pictured in Toronto, on June 10, 2020. The Canadian Press/Giordano Ciampini

Meanwhile, statues of Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first prime minister, have been vandalized, and in some cases removed by city officials, including one in City Park in his hometown of Kingston, Ont., due to his role in forming residential schools.

In August 2020, a statue of Macdonald in downtown Ottawa’s Place du Canada was toppled during a protest led by the Coalition for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) Liberation, which called for defunding the police. In June 2023, the National Capital Commission approved a name change for Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway, now called Kichi Zībī Mīkan—the Algonquin name meaning “Great River Road,” referencing the Ottawa River.

In a Jan. 11 social media post marking Macdonald’s birthday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who has been critical of efforts to remove the statues of the first prime minister, called Macdonald “a nation-builder,” highlighting how he united the country through Confederation and the Canadian Pacific Railway, laying the foundation for a prosperous nation.

Ryerson, a 19th-century Methodist minister who played a key role in designing Canada’s public school system, has also been targeted. His statue at Ryerson University in Toronto—an institution named after him—was toppled in 2021 during a rally to honour the victims of residential schools. Ryerson was a prominent 19th-century educator whose involvement in the development of the residential school system is debated. The university rebranded as Toronto Metropolitan University in April 2022.

A protester swings a hammer in an attempt to remove the head of the Egerton Ryerson statue in Toronto on June 6, 2021. The Canadian Press/Chris Young