New Amherstburg school officially named North Star High School

The English public school board in Windsor-Essex has chosen a name for the new high school under construction in Amherstburg.

It will be called North Star High School.

Greater Essex County District School BoardPublic trustees made the decision Tuesdaynight, based on a recommendation from a naming committee.

There was controversy in the community, with some people wanting "Amherstburg" included in the name, while others felt that would be inappropriate because General Jeffrey Amherst advocated using blankets to transmit smallpox to Indigenous people in the 1700s.

"Change is challenging, and it's filled with tension," saidAlicia Higgison, chair of the board of trustees.

"What this feedback has shown me is we have an opportunity as an educational institution to ensure that we centre and really broadly reach our communities with lessons of the Indigenous history, lifting up Indigenous and racialized voices and the true reality of how our past is connected to our future, and that there's much work to be done here."

The trustee representing Amherstburg, Ron LeClair, saidNorth Star makes sense for several reasons, including the fact Amherstburg was a destination on the Underground Railroad, when escaped slaves followed the North Star to freedom.

"I do say that there's a lot of support in the Town of Amherstburg for a name other than the name Amherstburg," saidLeClair.

"I do understand why there are some people that still are committed to the name Amherstburg, but what's important to me is that at the end of the day, I had the support of the other trustees to get this done."

Tramaine Whited, who sat on the naming committee, saidher goal was to ensure the name didn't reflect General Amherst or any derivative of the Amherst name.

"I did my own research, I spoke to a lot of people in the community ... shockingly most of them didn't know the history behind the name," said Whited.

"I think this whole situation has brought a lot of light to that, and the history of General Amherst to the area."

However, the Amherstburg residentsaid she's ambivalent to the new name, and saysmost people wont understand the context of the North Star for those fleeing slavery.

"I think that there's a number of names they could have used to draw that point home.," saidWhited.

"I think with it just being North Star, I don't think a lot of people will understand the significance. I think as long as they're clear on their explanation and reasoning behind it, that's great. When you hear that name you don't immediately draw that conclusion unless you're obviously from the community and understand that."

The $25-million school is currently under construction.

It will replace both General Amherst and Western Secondary Schools.