Introducing Turtle Island Public School and other new names for TVDSB schools | CBC News
Public consultation and voting with parents, students and First Nations communities have landed the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) with names for its three newest schools currently under construction across the region.
While the new name chosen for the elementary school being built in northwest London won’t be surprising, Northwest Public School, the other two schools will be named for more than just their location on the map.
In Woodstock, the winning vote from an electronic and paper poll saw 147 people choose the name Turtle Island Public School.
In London’s southwest region, the new school will be called White Pine Public School after 235 people voted in favour of the name.
School names have been a point of controversy across Canada due to the namesake’s historical connection to racism and colonialism. The TVDSB formed a naming selection committee in 2021 and reviewed more than a dozen schools, opting to rename many.
More asks for new schools
The TVDSB, the largest school board in southwestern Ontario, has growing enrolment in some areas. In September, the board asked the province to fund four more new schools, plus an addition to an existing building to fill the need.
Those schools are in the following locations:
- Southwest London: New elementary school with child care centre. This is the second new school in the area.
- Thamesford: New elementary school with child care centre built in conjunction with the Township of Zorra.
- Ingersoll: New elementary school with child care centre.
- Thorndale: Addition to West Nissouri PS.
- North Central London: New elementary school with child care centre.
Currently, the school board has six new schools under construction, including Turtle Island Public School, White Pine Public School and Northwest Public School. New elementary schools are also being built in Bellmont, Lucan and southeast London.
Those schools are set to open between 2025 and 2027.
The TVDSB said in September it expects to learn whether it’s been approved for the five additional new school builds in the fall of 2025.
