Ryerson journalism school to rename publications in light of namesake’s role in residential school system

Ryerson University’s school of journalism says it will rename two of its publications after conversations with students who the school says felt the “horrific legacy” of the residential school system was too great to continue using the Ryerson name in their mastheads.

Flags on federal buildings lowered in memory of Kamloops residential school victims

The department says in a statement it will change the name of the Ryerson Review of Journalism magazine and The Ryersonian newspaper to remove the reference to Egerton Ryerson.

The school says Egerton Ryerson was “indisputably” one of the architects of the residential school system.

The statement comes a day after a statue of Ryerson was covered with red paint and graffiti, with the words, “Dig them up” and “215.” Several pairs of shoes were also placed around the statue as a symbol of the 215 children whose remains were found by radar at the site of a former Kamloops, B.C., residential school.

The school of journalism says a new committee has been formed to engage students in the process of renaming the mastheads and support Indigenous creatives in the design.

The school says its goal is to have new names in place for the newspaper and the magazine in the fall.

CBC