Cornwallis Junior High School in Halifax has always been closely connected to the city's founding father, Edward Cornwallis. Not only does the school bear his name, it bears the Cornwallis family crest.
But the Halifax Regional School Board has chosen to sever all ties with the historical, but controversial, figure who ordered a bounty on the Mi'kmaq people when he founded the city.
The board voted unanimously to change the name of the school at a meeting Wednesday night.
Mi'kmaq activist Daniel Paul says he has been fighting to have the school's name changed for 25 years and he's happy with the decision.
"It was a wonderful thing; it made me feel really good to see so many people sit around that table and do what's right," says Paul.
But the school isn't the only place to bear Cornwallis' name in Nova Scotia. There are streets, a former military base, a statue in downtown Halifax, and even a rural community named after him. The school board's decision has left many wondering what will happen to the other buildings and places that bear his name.
Some Halifax residents have been asking for the statue to be removed from Halifax's downtown for years, but others see it as a learning opportunity.
"He is a founding father," says Coun. Sue Uteck. "Mistakes were made, but I think those mistakes need to be acknowledged, and perhaps a plaque there would signify the mistakes."
Others feel the school's name change is a small gesture in light of the oppression and racism that still occurs.
"I think it's a good symbolic gesture, but it's nothing if there's still oppression going on," says Halifax resident Aaron Beale. "Native people are still being oppressed."
A new name has not been chosen for the school. It will be decided by the community at a later date.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Jill Matthews
