Ryerson University announces it will be renamed
Ryerson University announced Thursday that it has accepted a recommendation to begin the renaming process.
The decision comes after growing calls to examine the legacy of Egerton Ryerson, an architect of Canada's residential school system, which separated 150,000 Indigenous children from their families.
A statement released by president and vice-chancellor Mohamed Lachemi said that the Ryerson Board of Governors saw the Standing Strong (Mash Koh Wee Kah Pooh Win) Task Force’s final report Thursday and will accept all 22 of their recommendations, one of which is to rename the post-secondary institution.
"Recongizing the harm caused to community members by the commemoration of Egerton Ryerson, the impossibility of upholding our institutional values while commemorating Egerton Ryerson and the necessity of advancing reconciliation, we recommend that: the university rename the institution in a process that engages with the community members and university stakeholders," the task force said.
The recommendations include renaming the institution, sharing materials to recognize the legacy of Egerton Ryerson, and providing more opportunities to learn about Indigenous history and Indigenous and colonial relations, amongst others.
“The report provides a full picture of the past and present commemoration of Egerton Ryerson, yet the recommendations are not based on either vilification or vindication of the individual.”
According to the university, the task force recommendations were informed by over 11,000 community members and that the survey generated 22,860 individual question responses.
In addition, over 250 people participated in “community conversations” and more than 250 people emailed the task force directly.
The decision comes after Ryerson's School of Journalism announced they would rename two of their publications, the Ryerson Review of Journalism magazine and the Ryersonian newspaper.
The Standing Strong (Mash Koh Wee Kah Pooh Win) Task Force’s full report can be read here.
-With files from The Canadian Press.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
NEW Iconic Canadian song turns 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Prince Harry, Meghan arrive in Nigeria to champion the Invictus Games and meet with wounded soldiers
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived in Nigeria on Friday to champion the Invictus Games, which he founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans, among them Nigerian soldiers fighting a 14-year war against Islamic extremists.
Countries struggle to draft 'pandemic treaty' to avoid mistakes made during COVID
After the coronavirus pandemic triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions, leaders at the World Health Organization and worldwide vowed to do better in the future. Years later, countries are still struggling to come up with an agreed-upon plan for how the world might respond to the next global outbreak.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.