Toronto Metropolitan University is the first Canadian post-secondary institution to change its name amid a wider re-examination of the full legacies left by the historic figures after whom so many of our schools, buildings and monuments are named.
As complicated portraits emerge about Canadian historical figures and their eponymous institutions, CBC News asked historians and a sociologist about how the post-secondary sector is grappling with this sensitive issue.
Why name changes are happening now
There is growing awareness and acknowledgement of the ugly parts of our history, including the systemic racism experienced by Black and Indigenous communities, as well as other marginalized groups. The discovery of unmarked graves at residential schools in various locations across Canada, in particular, prompted people to ask new and deeper questions about how we got to where we are.
Specifically at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), a group was tasked with re-examining the legacy of former namesake Egerton Ryerson. The 19th-century Methodist minister and public education advocate had a vision of compulsory, agricultural labour- and religious-based instruction for Indigenous students, held separately from non-Indigenous learners. His ideas went into the creation of the residential school system, and his actions as superintendent of education informed racially segregated schools in Canada. The TMU task force ultimately proposed 22 recommendations, including a name change for the school that went into effect April 26.
People walk through the campus of what is now Toronto Metropolitan University on Apr. 26. Though the former Ryerson University has a new name, the change will happen over phases according to its president, Mohamed Lachemi. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
These kinds of conversations are a reminder that history — and the notion of legacy — evolves, said Barrington Walker, a history professor at Wilfrid Laurier University, adding that campuses are also a logical place for these kinds of discussions.
He noted how in the 1960s, when the post-secondary sector began to diversify, and more women, racialized people and people with disabilities began attending university, these students began demanding their institutions live up to higher ideals of equality and diversity.
Perhaps what has changed over time is that now “there are more places that are willing to take a look at their histories and to grapple with their histories,” Walker said.
“Universities are part of what’s going on in the larger society.”
The continued harm of historical names
Seeing institutions drop names of people whose past included inflicting harm on marginalized groups, shows that “people are listening and … they’re also acting on the calls to action from the [Truth and Reconciliation Commission],” said Cora Voyageur, a sociology professor at the University of Calgary and member of Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation.
“The trauma that has been experienced by Indigenous people, primarily First Nation people, is real,” Voyageur said. “Any of those racist tropes that we’ve had in the past, we have to rethink those and change our mindset.”
In spring 2019 for example, McGill University agreed to change the name of its varsity men’s sports teams — dropping a term widely recognized as offensive to Indigenous people — after a renewed campaign led by an Indigenous student athlete following years of complaints from earlier students about the discriminatory name.
Voyageur wants to see these conversations and history lessons continue across all levels of education. People and communities harmed by this history are still among us, and Canada’s future decision-makers are today’s students, she said.
People may feel uncomfortable with ugly parts of Canada’s history, but ‘you don’t have to like it … You just have to acknowledge that this is part of our history,’ says University of Calgary sociology professor Cora Voyageur, a member of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation. (Jodi O Photography)
“This is something that is a stain on Canadian society … Canada has to realize that we have a racist history,” she said, citing a wide range of harmful and discriminatory policies from those against First Nations to the Komagata Maru incident, the internment of Japanese-Canadians, the Chinese head tax and more.
The sociology professor says people sometimes react defensively to these types of conversations, saying they weren’t part of these decisions made a century ago.
“I’m not asking you to take responsibility for it,” she said. “I’m just asking you to learn it. You don’t have to like it, you don’t have to feel comfortable with it — you just have to acknowledge that this is part of our history.”
Dalhousie University dug into its history, but didn’t change its name. Why not?
In 2019, a panel concluded its exploration into Dalhousie University’s history of racism, links to the transatlantic slave system and what historian Isaac Saney described as the “problematic history” of the Halifax school’s founder, the former Nova Scotia lieutenant governor who had profited from the sugar, molasses and rum trade in the early 19th century. The final report called for an official apology, a provincial memorial and other reparations, but no name change.
The Dalhousie panel’s goal was to bring about meaningful change to impact current and future students, like improving the experience of Black learners and developing the first Black and African Diaspora Studies major at a Canadian university, said Isaac Saney, a historian at Dalhousie University and chair of the committee designing the new major. (Dalhousie University)
Changing the name was indeed discussed but wasn’t part of the official mandate, according to Dalhousie historian Saney, a member of the panel. Instead, the focus was on conducting a historical evaluation “but also bringing about recommendations that could lead to substantive change in [the university’s] relationship with this legacy — and with the African Nova Scotian community,” he explained.
“We wanted to go beyond symbolic change, and we really wanted to have a series of concrete recommendations that would not only, in a sense, push the university forward but bring about the kind of meaningful change you want to have.”
He pointed to solid changes in place, such as recruiting more Black faculty and developing the first Black and African Diaspora Studies major at a Canadian university — a development committee on which he’s now serving as chair.
“Nobody is saying that Lord Dalhousie should be erased from history. People are saying he should be placed in the proper historical context,” Saney noted. “When we do these things, we’re signalling what kind of society we would like to create: a more just, more equitable society.”
Likewise, TMU also said it would be following up its name change with more action.
“It’s an ongoing work that just started, but it’s a long journey,” said TMU president Mohamed Lachemi.
Are other schools re-examining their namesakes?
These conversations are indeed happening at many institutions. Some advocates continue to push for more recognition of a namesake’s complicated history, including at Quebec’s McGill University. Other institutions have renamed individual buildings, like at Ontario’s University of Windsor and Queen’s University.
Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ont., has created the Laurier Legacy Project to revisit the history of Canada’s seventh prime minister, who helped propel Canada to wealth and prominence on the world stage while also creating discriminatory immigration policies against Chinese, Japanese, Indian and African American people.
“In many ways the historical record hasn’t been mined nearly as fully as it should be,” said Walker, who serves as the school’s associate vice-president of equity, diversity and inclusion as well as a history professor.
Universities are part of what’s going on in the larger society,’ says Barrington Walker, a professor of history at Wilfrid Laurier University and the school’s associate vice-president of equity, diversity and inclusion. (Wilfrid Laurier University)
“There’s also a perception that once people have written about the past, they’ve written it and it’s been done, but different historians will bring different questions to even historical records that seem very familiar to people. They’ll bring different eyes, different lived experiences.”
The project won’t avoid unearthing ugly details, Walker said. The hope is to grapple with those elements, inspire deep reflection and develop best practices on making the university more diverse and open to groups who haven’t traditionally had access to post-secondary education.
“Aside from my historian’s hat, that’s the point of doing this work: to show that we can live up to the best version of ourselves.”
I’m an alumnus of what’s now TMU. Do I get new grad documents?
Alumni should note that its legal name remains Ryerson University until an amendment to Ontario’s Ryerson University Act is passed. With a provincial election imminent, that part of the change is on hold.
“Until that [change] takes place, we will continue to issue all legal documents (including parchments at convocation) with the old name, Ryerson University,” Lachemi said. “We will communicate more details to our alumni about how to get your documents with the new name in the future.”
For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.
TORONTO – Will Taylor Swift bring chaos or do we all need to calm down?
It’s a question many Torontonians are asking this week as the city braces for the arrival of Swifties, the massive fan base of one of the world’s biggest pop stars.
Hundreds of thousands are expected to descend on the downtown core for the singer’s six concerts which kick off Thursday at the Rogers Centre and run until Nov. 23.
And while their arrival will be a boon to tourism dollars — the city estimates more than $282 million in economic impact — some worry it could worsen Toronto’s gridlock by clogging streets that already come to a standstill during rush hour.
Swift’s shows are set to collide with sports events at the nearby Scotiabank Arena, including a Raptors game on Friday and a Leafs game on Saturday.
Some residents and local businesses have already adjusted their plans to avoid the area and its planned road closures.
Aahil Dayani says he and some friends intended to throw a birthday bash for one of their pals until they realized it would overlap with the concerts.
“Something as simple as getting together and having dinner is now thrown out the window,” he said.
Dayani says the group rescheduled the gathering for after Swift leaves town. In the meantime, he plans to hunker down at his Toronto residence.
“Her coming into town has kind of changed up my social life,” he added.
“We’re pretty much just not doing anything.”
Max Sinclair, chief executive and founder of A.I. technology firm Ecomtent, suggested his employees avoid the company’s downtown offices on concert days, saying he doesn’t see the point in forcing people to endure potential traffic jams.
“It’s going to be less productive for us, and it’s going to be just a pain for everyone, so it’s easier to avoid it,” Sinclair said.
“We’re a hybrid company, so we can be flexible. It just makes sense.”
Swift’s concerts are the latest pop culture moment to draw attention to Toronto’s notoriously disastrous daily commute.
In June, One Direction singer Niall Horan uploaded a social media video of himself walking through traffic to reach the venue for his concert.
“Traffic’s too bad in Toronto, so we’re walking to the venue,” he wrote in the post.
Toronto Transit Commission spokesperson Stuart Green says the public agency has been working for more than a year on plans to ease the pressure of so many Swifties in one confined area.
“We are preparing for something that would be akin to maybe the Beatles coming in the ‘60s,” he said.
Dozens of buses and streetcars have been added to transit routes around the stadium, and the TTC has consulted the city on potential emergency scenarios.
Green will be part of a command centre operated by the City of Toronto and staffed by Toronto police leaders, emergency services and others who have handled massive gatherings including the Raptors’ NBA championship parade in 2019.
“There may be some who will say we’re over-preparing, and that’s fair,” Green said.
“But we know based on what’s happened in other places, better to be over-prepared than under-prepared.”
Metrolinx, the agency for Ontario’s GO Transit system, has also added extra trips and extended hours in some regions to accommodate fans looking to travel home.
A day before Swift’s first performance, the city began clearing out tents belonging to homeless people near the venue. The city said two people were offered space in a shelter.
“As the area around Rogers Centre is expected to receive a high volume of foot traffic in the coming days, this area has been prioritized for outreach work to ensure the safety of individuals in encampments, other residents, businesses and visitors — as is standard for large-scale events,” city spokesperson Russell Baker said in a statement.
Homeless advocate Diana Chan McNally questioned whether money and optics were behind the measure.
“People (in the area) are already in close proximity to concerts, sports games, and other events that generate massive amounts of traffic — that’s nothing new,” she said in a statement.
“If people were offered and willingly accepted a shelter space, free of coercion, I support that fully — that’s how it should happen.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Hundreds of Taylor Swift fans lined up outside the gates of Toronto’s Rogers Centre Wednesday, with hopes of snagging some of the pop star’s merchandise on the eve of the first of her six sold-out shows in the city.
Swift is slated to perform at the venue from Thursday to Saturday, and the following week from Nov. 21 to Nov. 23, with concert merchandise available for sale on some non-show days.
Swifties were all smiles as they left the merch shop, their arms full of sweaters and posters bearing pictures of the star and her Eras Tour logo.
Among them was Zoe Haronitis, 22, who said she waited in line for about two hours to get $300 worth of merchandise, including some apparel for her friends.
Haronitis endured the autumn cold and the hefty price tag even though she hasn’t secured a concert ticket. She said she’s hunting down a resale ticket and plans to spend up to $600.
“I haven’t really budgeted anything,” Haronitis said. “I don’t care how much money I spent. That was kind of my mindset.”
The megastar’s merchandise costs up to $115 for a sweater, and $30 for tote bags and other accessories.
Rachel Renwick, 28, also waited a couple of hours in line for merchandise, but only spent about $70 after learning that a coveted blue sweater and a crewneck had been snatched up by other eager fans before she got to the shop. She had been prepared to spend much more, she said.
“The two prized items sold out. I think a lot more damage would have been done,” Renwick said, adding she’s still determined to buy a sweater at a later date.
Renwick estimated she’s spent about $500 in total on “all-things Eras Tour,” including her concert outfit and merchandise.
The long queue for Swift merch is just a snapshot of what the city will see in the coming days. It’s estimated that up to 500,000 visitors from outside Toronto will be in town during the concert period.
Tens of thousands more are also expected to attend Taylgate’24, an unofficial Swiftie fan event scheduled to be held at the nearby Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
Meanwhile, Destination Toronto has said it anticipates the economic impact of the Eras Tour could grow to $282 million as the money continues to circulate.
But for fans like Haronitis, the experience in Toronto comes down to the Swiftie community. Knowing that Swift is going to be in the city for six shows and seeing hundreds gather just for merchandise is “awesome,” she said.
Even though Haronitis hasn’t officially bought her ticket yet, she said she’s excited to see the megastar.
“It’s literally incredible.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
OTTAWA – Via Rail is asking for a judicial review on the reasons why Canadian National Railway Co. has imposed speed restrictions on its new passenger trains.
The Crown corporation says it is seeking the review from the Federal Court after many attempts at dialogue with the company did not yield valid reasoning for the change.
It says the restrictions imposed last month are causing daily delays on Via Rail’s Québec City-Windsor corridor, affecting thousands of passengers and damaging Via Rail’s reputation with travellers.
CN says in a statement that it imposed the restrictions at rail crossings given the industry’s experience and known risks associated with similar trains.
The company says Via has asked the courts to weigh in even though Via has agreed to buy the equipment needed to permanently fix the issues.
Via said in October that no incidents at level crossings have been reported in the two years since it put 16 Siemens Venture trains into operation.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
