Sir John A Macondald PS to be Renamed to Biidassige Mandamin PS

Posted On Wednesday January 19, 2022

On Monday, January 17, 2022, the Durham District School Board (DDSB)’s Board of Trustees voted to rename Sir John A. Macdonald Public School (777 Balaton Avenue, Pickering) to Biidassige (Josephine) Mandamin Public School. This was based on a recommendation from the School Naming Committee formed to consider the renaming of this school, which was comprised of comprised of local Trustees, staff, students, a member of the Indigenous Advisory circle and community members.

The renaming process was initiated at the May 17, 2021 Board Meeting, where DDSB’s Board of Trustees passed a motion that one or more of the renaming criteria contained in Section 5.4 of the Naming of Schools Policy had been met and that a School Naming Committee would be established to consider a potential renaming in accordance with DDSB’s Naming of Schools Procedure

It was the role of the Committee to consult with the broader school community to determine and bring forward naming recommendations to the Board of Trustees. The Committee was required to consider all voices and perspectives with respect to the potential re-naming of a school, including whether the school should be renamed.

As part of this process, the Committee was empowered to consider all submissions in line with various sections of the DDSB Naming of Schools Policy and Procedure. This includes the Board’s commitment and legal responsibilities to Indigenous rights, human rights, anti-oppression, anti-racism, anti-discrimination, and equitable and inclusive education. Consideration was also made on whether the current name of a school constitutes a significant departure from generally-recognized standards of public behaviour which is seen to undermine the credibility, integrity or relevance of the Board's contemporary values.

The name change will take effect for the start of the 2022-23 school year. The school will be working to update signage and branding to represent the legacy of our new namesake and the Indigenous Education Department will be supporting ongoing learning.

Biography of Biidassige (Josephine) Mandamin

Biidassige (Josephine) Mandamin was from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, Manitoulin Island. She was an Anishinaabe elder and world-renowned water advocate. Josephine was a residential school survivor, having attended St. Joseph's School for Girls in Spanish, Ontario, from 1948–1954. Despite her experience with the residential school, she maintained her Anishinaabe identity and followed her traditional teachings.

Biidassige dedicated her life to speaking for the Great Lakes and was an influential teacher and advocate for the Earth's water. She walked around the Great Lakes from 2003 to 2017 to bring awareness to the problems of water pollution and environmental degradation on the Great Lakes and on Indigenous reserves in Canada. For her activism, Mandamin was awarded the Anishinabek Lifetime Achievement Award (2012) and the Governor General's Meritorious Service Cross (2018). Her great-niece, Autumn Peltier, followed in Mandamin's footsteps, becoming the next generation's "water warrior." The impact of her conservation and advocacy work will live on for future generations. Biidassige joined the spirit world on February 22, 2019.