Wolseley name controversy – Winnipeg Free Press

An application to rename Wolseley School is fueling a debate over the appropriateness of landmarks to honor historical leaders whose actions are inconsistent with 21st-century values.

The Kindergarten to Grade 6 Parent Council recently petitioned the Winnipeg school division to begin a formal review process.

His name is Colonel Garnet Wolseley, and his legacy as leader of the 1870 expedition tasked with ending the Provisional Government of Louis Riel in the Red River Colony has been questioned in recent years.

“(My classmates and I) weren't well-educated in real Canadian history, and I think that's changing for the better,” said Christine Stozel, noting that she and her two elementary school students support the name change initiative.

Although Stozel has lived in Wolseley for 16 years, he only recently found out that his neighborhood was named after the former commander-in-chief of the British Army.

Some historical accounts – including a biography published on the school's website – refer to Wolseley (1833-1913) as commanding “a force sent west to the Red River to suppress the Riel Rebellion”. Others say he ordered a violent and coordinated attack against the Metis people.

In 2021, a collective of Métis organizers launched a public awareness campaign to publicize the colonizer's hand in inciting racism, violence, murder, and displacement in what is now Manitoba.

Members of Red River Echoes put up posters alleging he led troops that sexually assaulted and killed Indigenous people, in turn calling for a community meeting and early discussions at Winnipeg City Hall to mobilize for the name change.

Wolseley Family Place, a resource center in the area, was rebranded as Acorn Family Place the following year.

“Society moves in waves and we always want to move forward, and the idea of ​​thinking historically about how we care about buildings, roads, parks is a fruitful intellectual activity that we want our students to engage in,” said Matt Henderson. , WSD Superintendent.

Central School trustees at a public meeting Monday approved updates to the school's internal policy on renaming special-purpose areas such as classrooms, playgrounds and sports fields.

The amendments include a clause allowing association members to propose a new name that meets department standards. In the past, a building could only be renamed after the name of the street on which it stands, the historical or current name of the community in which it resides, or the symbolic name of the unique program offered on the premises.

Staff, students, parent councils and community members can petition the board of trustees for a name change.

These appeals must include a description of the namesake's actions that are “inconsistent with the values ​​of the WSD” and describe the harm that continued use of the name may cause to community members.

At a recent board meeting, Trustee Jamie Dumont — who has long advocated for active review of school names — spoke of the critical importance of community consultation in such matters.

Dumont also noted that turnout for subdivision renaming polls has been poor in the past.

Less than a quarter of parents and guardians at Greenway School, named after former premier Thomas Greenway (1838-1908), who supported anti-Francophone legislation, responded to the survey.

Similarly, a survey sent to 188 family members at Champlain School yielded 20 responses—an 11% participation rate. The elementary school's title honors Samuel de Champlain (1567-1635), French explorer, colonist and first governor of French Canada.

Henderson said the department is revising the consultation process to ensure that all titles are discussed more broadly.

Noting that the new names would be expensive, the chief said “if the community wants to get on the road, it could be money well spent.”

After two years of community consultation, WSD Cecil Rhodes School reopened as Keewatin Prairie Community School for the 2022-23 school year.

Secretary-Treasurer Hollis Zhang said the school's name change is a “ballpark cost” of $100,000, as the move could require everything from updating athletic jerseys to replacing logos on the gymnasium floor.

“The best-case scenario, the cheapest is $43,000,” Zhang told trustees earlier this week. “Worst case scenario would be $181,000.”

At this time, the proactive review of all school names in the WSD system has been suspended due to the cost of undertaking such a project.

The Wolseley Residents Association, a not-for-profit organization, chose not to take part in the renaming debate because its members are volunteers with time constraints and deal with long-term organizational priorities ranging from tree planting to transport issues.

“We are not advocating any particular position, but are open to positive learning about the history of our neighborhood's name and to discussions about what it means to us,” chairman Ross Brownlee wrote in an email.

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