Calgary’s Bishop Grandin High School Renamed To Our Lady Of The Rockies Following Board Vote

A Calgary Catholic high school that came under fire for its name following the discoveries of unmarked graves near the sites of Indian residential schools has a new moniker.

Bishop Grandin High School will now be called Our Lady of the Rockies High School, following a vote from the Calgary Catholic School District’s (CCSD) board of trustees on Wednesday.

In the meantime, the school changed its name to Haysboro Catholic High School after a June 28 motion passed.

The CCSD said “extensive consultations and community gatherings” were hosted with members of the Indigenous community, parish representatives, parents, students and staff.

Our Lady of the Rockies was selected from five possible replacement names. A renaming ceremony will be planned for the school.

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“The Calgary Catholic School District honours the shared commitment to educating our community about Indigenous history and culture, as well as the ongoing efforts to work together towards truth and reconciliation,” the news release stated.

The move comes a week after Edmonton’s Grandin School was renamed Holy Child Catholic Elementary School.

One Dene activist and member of Calgary’s Reconciliation Action Group was happy to hear about the name change.

“I am really happy to know that they’re renaming Bishop Grandin (High School), because Bishop Grandin was one of the most devastating folks when it came to Indian residential schools, and, of course, to Indigenous people as a result,” Michelle Robinson said.

Robinson said acknowledging Grandin’s role in the Indian residential school system was an “important step for truth and reconciliation.”

1:42Calgary Catholic trustees vote to rename Bishop Grandin High School

Calgary Catholic trustees vote to rename Bishop Grandin High School – Jun 28, 2021 “These efforts are important because we can’t create safe spaces for Indigenous people to be in if they are constantly reminded of the very people who perpetuated genocide upon us,” she told Global News, noting similar name changes nationwide.

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Bishop Vital-Justin Grandin, who the school was previously named for, “led the campaign for residential schooling,” according to the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC).

According to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, Canada’s Indian residential school system was in place for more than 150 years, and more than 150,000 children attended.

The TRC’s final report conservatively estimated between 4,000 and 6,000 children died at residential schools.

“We’ve only had days since… the very first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation,” Robinson added. “This is important work that we are trying to correct 150 years of wrong on.”