Embattled Ryerson changes its name

`Metropolitan' replaces architect of residentials

TORONTO • Ryerson University, named after an architect of Canada’s residential school system, will now be called Toronto Metropolitan University, the school announced Tuesday.

The downtown Toronto university had faced growing calls to change its name — demands that ramped up last summer following the discovery of what are believed to be the graves of Indigenous children on the grounds of former residential schools.

School president Mohamed Lachemi said Tuesday he brought the new name to the university’s board, which approved it Tuesday afternoon.

“I want to assure everyone that our new name is not about erasing our history,” he wrote in a letter to the school community.

“Our values have long defined who we are and they will always guide where we are going. Our values are the basis upon which we have built our uniquely vibrant, diverse and intentionally inclusive culture.”

The university’s new name reflects that the school is located in the heart of Canada’s largest and most diverse city, which makes it a gathering place for people from all over the world, Lachemi said.

“Toronto Metropolitan University reflects all that we are and our commitment to continue being a destination for the great minds, partnerships and discoveries that we are already known for,” the school president said.

OUR NEW NAME IS NOT ABOUT ERASING OUR HISTORY.

The renaming process started last fall, when Lachemi asked a committee to consult and come up with a shortlist of possible new names. The committee heard from approximately 30,000 people between November and December before producing a shortlist, the university said.

“Our new name is a cause for celebration, to celebrate all that makes us who we are and to welcome all the ways we can make a positive impact on the people and communities around us — here in Toronto, across Canada and around the world,” Lachemi said.

In November 2020, a special task force was formed at the university to analyze and address the legacy of Egerton Ryerson, who helped design both the public and residential school systems in Canada.

It ultimately issued 22 recommendations, including a suggestion to rename the school in a process that “engages with community members and university stakeholders.”

A statue of Egerton Ryerson on campus was torn down by angry protesters last summer in response to the discovery of what appear to be graves on the grounds of a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C.

Earlier last year, Indigenous professors at the university asked the school to change its name and remove the statue from campus.