On February 4, Jayde Jones and Devon Wilton, the President and Vice–President External of the Victoria University Students’ Administrative Council (VUSAC), submitted a proposal to rename the Ryerson residence building at Lower Burwash Hall and the Ryerson Vic One stream.
In 1847, Egerton Ryerson, previously a principal at Vic, wrote, “it is a fact established… that the North American Indian cannot be civilized or preserved in a state of civilization… except in connection with… not only religious instruction and sentiment but of religious feelings.” The instruction to which Ryerson referred was the establishment of what he called “industrial schools” but which would eventually evolve into residential schools. Ryerson’s advocation was instrumental in convincing Sir John A. Macdonald to establish the residential school system, which separated Indigenous children from their families and subjected them to what the UN has called a “cultural genocide.”
Wilton, who spearheaded the proposal, campaigned on the issue and feels the renaming of the Ryerson building and Ryerson stream to be within his mandate: “The goals of the project are to take a look at what Vic is doing in terms of their part in that whole landscape and hopefully to take a step back and make some tangible changes as to how it is interacting with that.”
However, Vic’s administration has largely been ambivalent toward the proposal. So far, Liz Taylor, the Communications Officer of Victoria University’s Office of Alumni Affairs & Advancement, has stated that Victoria University “welcomes the report” and that “academic and administrative leaders look forward to working together to examine the important questions raised in the report.” Victoria University administrative leaders have not yet committed to the September 1 deadline put forward in the proposal. Wilton said that “the interaction with the governance has been a learning experience. It’s not something that’s ever been done before.” The proposal will need to be voted on by the Senate of Victoria University before any confirmation can be made. Nevertheless, Wilton told The Strand, “I think it can happen; I think it should happen.”
The Renaming Ryerson proposal was put together throughout the fall 2018 semester and was informed by consultations via email with the Indigenous Studies Students’ Union (ISSU), the Indigenous Education Network (IEN), the Centre for Indigenous Studies, and First Nations House. Joshua Bowman, ISSU president, is noted as having significant input. Bowman had not replied to The Strand’s request for comment in time for publication.
When asked what else VUSAC had planned in terms of furthering Indigenous reconciliation efforts on campus, Wilton said, “for VUSAC [this year] this [proposal] has been the centre of the work,” and “these are some of the most concrete changes that VUSAC can make and take as a focus.” The purpose of the change is to increase access to the campus and post-secondary education for Indigenous students and other minority groups. Wilton hoped the change, along with the proposed consultation on what the name would be changed to, will provoke further initiatives and efforts in the future.
There are currently no Indigenous members of VUSAC.
Renaming Ryerson was supported unanimously when voted on by VUSAC. The proposal notes that VUSAC is “Victoria College’s elected student government representing its more than 3,300 students.” A petition has been launched in support of the proposal. As of February 9, it has gained 129 signatures. Nevertheless, it is now left to the administrative staff and the Senate of Victoria University to decide what will happen to the remnants of Ryerson’s legacy at Vic.
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