The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is requesting almost $22 million from Ontario’s Ministry of Education to tear down an Indigenous school and replace it with a new one that less resembles a residential school. The building is located just south of Donlands Avenue and Danforth Avenue in the eastern part of Toronto.

As reported by True North, the TDSB is appealing to the province for funding on behalf of the Kapapamahchakwew Wandering Spirit School to benefit “Indigenous students who carry the intergenerational trauma from Canada’s legacy of Residential Schools.”

The proposal outlines why the "imposing" appearance and functionality of the current school is not sufficient and requires a brand new school to be constructed.

“The 16 Phin building was designed and constructed to meet the needs of a colonial education system in the early 1900’s. As an imposing and expansive monolith, the building is not well suited in its current design, layout, or presence to serve as the permanent home," the document reads in part.

The board's proposal also noted that the current school's “stark resemblance” to “the many residential schools that dotted the Canadian landscape until the mid 1990’s doesn’t provide for an environment that honors Indigenous voices and self determination.”

The TDSB included a picture of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School side-by-side with the current school in an attempt to display their similarities in the proposal. There have been no human remains uncovered from the former residential school in B.C. after allegations of mass unmarked graves in 2021 sparked public outcry.

As further detailed by True North, the Ontario Ministry of Education already provided the TDSB with over $11 million in funding in 2018 to renovate the school, which also serves as a childcare centre. Despite this significant sum, the board says that it's not enough to retrofit the building, and is now requesting funding for a “fully Indigenized standalone school."

The TDSB proposal also alleges that the current school's smell, aesthetics, and acoustics are representative of Canada's former residential school system. According to the TDSB document, the school would be constructed by August of 2029 and fully functional by September of the same year.

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