THUNDER BAY - A committee charged with choosing a name for the new public school being built on the city’s south side is no longer recommending École Northern Lights Public School.
According to the agenda for a special session of the Lakehead Public School Board taking place Thursday evening, the standing committee will present a motion to the trustees that reads: “It is recommended that the Lakehead District School Board amend the motion from the standing committee of May 14, 2019 by striking out the words ‘École Northern Lights Public School’ and inserting the words ‘École Elsie MacGill Public School.’”
The choice of Northern Lights Public School generated controversy because it is very similar to the not-for-profit Northern Lights School that opened in 2017. The Thunder Bay French-Language Catholic School Board is also named Aurora Borealis.
A standing committee originally voted 6-2 in favour of the Northern Lights name and was left to the trustees to ratify during a regular meeting on May 28.
However, that decision was postponed after board chair Ellen Chambers said a question was brought to her attention regarding whether or not the ad hoc committee in charge of recommending a name was dissolved.
Families from Edgewater Park and Agnew H. Johnston Public Schools, which are being replaced by the new school, voted École Northern Lights Public School as the number one choice for the new school’s name.
In light of the concerns raised in the community regarding the name, the ad hoc committee conducted an electronic survey to members of the school community on June 6, which asked if they supported the Northern Lights name and if not, to choose between École Elsie MacGill Public School or École Maple Grove Public School.
Of the 220 responses, 62 per cent did not support the École Northern Lights Public School name and 52 per cent voted in favour of École Elsie MacGill Public School.
Elsie MacGill, also known as the Queen of the Hurricanes, was an aeronautical engineer and the first woman in Canada to receive a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. During the Second World War she played a pivotal role in manufacture Hawker Hurricane fighter aircraft for the Allied powers at the Canada Car and Foundry in Fort William.
The trustees will vote on the recommendation during a special meeting to be held Thursday evening.
