Victoria's George Jay Elementary to be renamed with First Nations name
George Jay Elementary in Victoria is pictured. (CTV News)
The Greater Victoria School District (SD61) says it will rename George Jay Elementary after the community voiced support for changing the school's name.
The school district says it conducted community engagement in 2019 and 2020, and found that there was "great interest" from the community to rename the school because of George Jay's controversial history.
Jay was a former school board chair from 1907 to 1934, and named the elementary school after himself.
Some community members voiced concerns about the historical figure, however, since he was an outspoken supporter of segregation of Chinese and white students.
The school district later reached out to the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations to see if they would be interested in creating a Lekwungen name for George Jay Elementary.
The nations supported the idea and are now working with the school district to rename the school, as well as co-create a renaming protocol for other potential schools.
"The Songhees and Esquimalt Nations look forward to participating in the renaming of George Jay Elementary," said Karen Dick-Tunkara, a Songhees Nation councillor.
"By joining this project and sharing a piece of lək̓ʷəŋən culture, the children, students, and residents of Victoria can experience a part of our traditional ways," she said.
"The vulnerability of this work requires trust and time on behalf of both nations. By taking the time to rename an institution, we can begin a healing process for our children and families, who must deal with many barriers in a colonial education system on a day-to-day basis."
The new school name is expected in the 2023/2024 school year, according to SD61.
The new renaming protocol and process is expected later this spring.
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