Students and parents arranged a public demonstration COVID-style as they drove by Jean Vanier Catholic High School with horns blaring and signs taped to cars reading "Our Vote Counts."
Led by Grade 12 graduating students, people upset by the Catholic school board’s decision to turn down the community’s choice for a new name for Jean Vanier Catholic High school participated in a car rally on Monday afternoon. The protesters travelled from Central Arena on Patterson Street to the high school on Collins Street to raise public awareness.
The Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board (SMCDSB) trustees made the decision in April to turn down a new name for Jean Vanier Catholic High School that had already won support from students, teachers, and parents.
The new name chosen by staff, students and parents was Our Lady of the Bay Catholic School.
Fiona McMaster, a Grade 12 student at Jean Vanier, was one of the event organizers.
“As graduating students, it’s kind of scary knowing the school we’re all graduating from... is a nameless school,” said McMaster in an interview with CollingwoodToday. “We wanted to help to go against the board. (We’re upset) they’ve done this to us and our community.”
“It’s unfortunate. It’s still on our school. Keeping the name up is a disgrace,” she said.
In February, the SMCDSB made the decision to change the name of Collingwood’s Catholic high school after allegations of sexual abuse surfaced against the school’s namesake.
Two separate votes were held to determine the suggested name, polling the high school's students, parents and teachers. Our Lady of the Bay Catholic High School received 54 per cent of the votes in the first vote and 50 per cent of the votes in the second survey. With 638 people participating in the vote, 320 of those voted for the Lady of the Bay name.
Since then, the name was turned down by a vote of school board trustees.
To read our previous story on the board’s reasoning behind this decision, click here. To read our story on the student and parent response, click here.
McMaster estimates between 20 and 30 Grade 12 students participated in the protest, alongside parents and other community members.
“We originally thought we all agreed on the name. We went through the proper (procedures),” she said. “All of my friends and I did vote for ‘Our Lady of the Bay’ because we think it suits where we live. To have the board just shut it down when other schools are able to choose their names; it’s unfortunate for us. It’s not fair to us.”
“We want our voices to be heard,” she added.
The next Catholic school board meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, June 3, includes deputations from students, teachers and parents on the issue. During that meeting, the board of trustees will also be reconsidering their decision on the new name.
