THUNDER BAY — The group that established the Northern Lights independent, alternative school in Thunder Bay two years ago wants to know why the Lakehead District Public School Board proposes the same name for its new school in Northwood.
Meeting in standing committee, Lakehead trustees are scheduled to vote this evening to approve the name Ecole Northern Lights Public School for the elementary school under construction on Churchill Drive. The name includes Ecole because the school will also house a French immersion program when it opens in 2020 on the site of Sir Winston Churchill CVI, which is currently under demolition.
The independent, not-for-profit Northern Lights School is based in the North McIntyre Recreation Centre on Government Road.
Using a Waldorf-inspired curriculum which focuses on "experiential learning," the school currently has 15 students from junior kindergarten to Grade 2.
Arlene Thorn, who chairs the NLS board, calls the public board's decision to use the name her organization has operated with since 2017 disrespectful and ill-advised.
"I didn't understand why they would do this. It doesn't make sense to me," she told tbnewswatch.com.
Thorn said if the Lakehead board approves the name, it will cause confusion.
"We are incorporated ... We are a registered not-for-profit with the government, so we have the legal right to use the name. We have the northernlightsschool.ca website and so on," she said.
Thorn said she's not sure if her group has any legal recourse or if it would consider taking legal action.
She plans to attend Tuesday evening's public board meeting, and hopes the trustees decide to take a step back and review the issue,
Since the new school won't open until next year, the board might be acting a little hastily, she said.
"It seems as if they're rushing a process which is actually not needed at this point," Thorn said
According to information in the school board agenda, Ecole Northern Lights Public School was the overwhelming choice in a vote by the Edgewater Park and Agnew H. Johnston Public School communities.
The two schools will be closed when the new facility is ready.
The other choices on the ballot were Ecole Maple Grove Public School and Ecole Elsie MacGill Public School.
Sherri-Lynne Pharand, the superintendent of education for the public board, told tbnewswatch.com the board followed its established process for naming schools, which gives significant weight to the community's wishes.
Consultation included a vote on three names that were selected from among 240 nominations.
Survey Results - 906 votes
- Ecole Northern Lights Public School - 492
- Ecole Maple Grove Public School - 257
- Ecole Elsie MacGill Public School - 157
The naming committee initially recommended Maple Grove after it was pointed out that the local independent school already uses Northern Lights.
However, when it recommended Maple Grove to the board's standing committee last November, trustees turned it down. The naming committee met six days later and decided by consensus to reverse its decision.
A report to the board states. "The committee felt this would honour the process, as well as the engagement of and input received from the school community."
Pharand said the board administration believes Ecole Northern Lights Public School "is significantly different enough from Thunder Bay Northern Lights Waldorf school for there not to be confusion."
