Ontario education minister steps in to prevent erasure of Sir John A. Macdonald, Ryerson and Dundas from Toronto schools

The Toronto District School Board has been stopped from erasing the names of Sir John A. Macdonald, Egerton Ryerson and Henry Dundas from its schools. The new legislation, introduced by Ontario education minister, Paul Calandra, on May 29, will require a board to apply to the minister before changing the name of an existing school. If a board began using a new name on Jan. 1, 2025 or afterward, the law would still enable the minister to require a board to apply for approval. Then it will be open to the minister to approve or reject the new name. The legislation, Supporting Children and Students Act, 2025 , takes aim at school board accountability, in particular financial mismanagement. “I should be able to move quickly when it is very clear that a school board has lost its way. The legislation I introduced today, if passed, would allow me to do that,” Calandra posted on X.

I should be able to move quickly when it is very clear that a school board has lost its way. The legislation I introduced today, if passed, would allow me to do that. pic.twitter.com/0jWzBMJUVs— Paul Calandra (@PaulCalandra) May 29, 2025

The legislative basis for shutting down the TDSB effort is the prevention of boards from “misspending dollars meant for education on wasteful things, such as the time and resources that the TDSB put into the renaming initiative,” says Allan Williams, executive director for the Canadian Institute for Historical Education (CIHE). “The CIHE is very pleased with the draft legislation introduced by Minister Calandra yesterday that would give him the authority to prevent the misguided attempt by the TDSB to remove the names of Macdonald, Ryerson and Dundas from the three Toronto schools,” says Williams. “We have been calling on the Ontario government to take the steps necessary to prevent or overturn the schools’ renaming, so we’re happy today and thank Minister Calandra. But draft legislation can take time to become law, so we urge him and the Ford government to move quickly on this.” Earlier this year, the CIHE called on Premier Doug Ford to intervene and prevent the TDSB from removing the three names. It also sent a representative to a meeting of the TDSB’s Planning and Priorities Committee. Those efforts seemed to be for naught, as the board announced in late February that it was going ahead. Williams says the CIHE petition to stop the TDSB will stay online for signing until the proposed legislation is a done deal. Historian J.D.M. Stewart calls the government’s move “a rebuke of the TDSB and its flawed process for renaming these schools, a process that inexplicably did not include consultation with historians.” On a positive note, Stewart says, this is “an opportunity to learn more about our history. The last several years have been filled with misinformation and misunderstanding.” The new legislation was hailed by education consultant Paul Bennett in a post on X. “Historic School Names Saved in Toronto! Ontario Education Minister @PaulCalandra intervenes to halt erasure of John A. Macdonald, Egerton Ryerson and William Dundas from Toronto schools,” he wrote on Friday.

Breaking News: Historic School Names Saved in Toronto! Ontario Education Minister @PaulCalandra intervenes to halt erasure of John A. Macdonald, Egerton Ryerson and William Dundas from Toronto schools. The @tdsb as been stripped of its powerto change the names. #cdned #ONTed pic.twitter.com/UjnER3WFjr— Paul W Bennett (@Educhatter) May 30, 2025

The move came just two days after the Ontario government decided to remove the plywood box surrounding John A. Macdonald’s statue at Queen’s Park , restoring it to public view.

• Historians ask Doug Ford to save names of Sir John A. Macdonald, Ryerson, Dundas on Toronto schools
• TDSB moving ahead to erase Sir John A. Macdonald, Ryerson and Dundas from Toronto schools

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