Dear The Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Canada’s Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, and The Honourable Greg Rickford, Ontario’s Minister of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation:
We are writing to you on behalf of the Toronto District School Board to highlight the urgent funding need for a new Indigenous Education school. This crucial initiative, championed by the TDSB Urban Indigenous Community Advisory Committee, aligns with our shared commitment to Indigenous self-determination and culturally responsive education.
The vision for the new build is to create an innovative hub for Urban Indigenous Education that will contribute to the growth of knowledge and demonstrate leadership in this field. This standalone and fully Indigenized building for Kapapamahchakwew - Wandering Spirit School would accommodate students in Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12, along with a childcare centre. The school will be rooted in Indigenous teachings and community, providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for students across Toronto. This new vision for Kapapamahchakwew honours our collective obligations to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action and United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Article 14 of the United Nations Declaration states that Indigenous peoples have the right to establish and control their educational systems and institutions, providing education in their own languages and in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods of teaching and learning. By creating a standalone, fully Indigenized school, Toronto’s Urban Indigenous families can exercise this right, ensuring their children receive education that respects and incorporates their cultural heritage. In collaboration with Indigenous communities, we are committed to ensuring that Indigenous students, including those living in urban or off-reserve Indigenous settings, have access to education in their own culture and language, thereby fostering a sense of identity and belonging.
Toronto is home to the largest Indigenous population in Ontario, with estimates ranging from 35,000 to 70,000 Indigenous people, including Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, Métis, Cree, Mi'kmaq, Inuit, and more. The TDSB currently provides education to between 6,000 and 7,000 students of Indigenous heritage, and enrolment is increasing each school year. Toronto’s Indigenous population is young and rapidly growing, with Statistics Canada reporting a 42.5% increase in the Indigenous population across Canada between 2006 and 2016. As the Indigenous population continues to rise, the need for a culturally responsive educational environment becomes increasingly critical.
Since 1977, Kapapamahchakwew has offered educational programming for young learners that is grounded in Indigenous knowledge and traditions. The school was founded by Elder Pauline Shirt, a residential school survivor, and Elder Vern Harper as they sought a culturally safe environment that nurtured their son's Indigenous identity. When they could not find such a school, they established the Wandering Spirit Survival School. This alternative school was later recognized as a Cultural Survival/Native Way program, reflecting the TDSB’s commitment to culturally responsive education. Now, it is time to reaffirm that commitment with a standalone and fully Indigenized school.
The TDSB has been pursuing a replacement Kapapamahchakwew facility since 2017 as a more appropriate alternative to the current building, which accommodates the school and Urban Indigenous Education Centre. The building at 16 Phin Avenue, designed and constructed in the early 1900s to meet the needs of a colonial education system, is not well suited in its current design, layout, or presence to serve as the permanent home for Kapapamahchakwew. Its stark resemblance to many residential schools does not provide an environment that honors Indigenous voices and self-determination.
In 2018, we received $11.5 million from the Ministry of Education to undertake retrofits to 16 Phin, including partial demolition of a section of the building and the addition of new structures. However, this work did not proceed as planned. In 2021, we recognized the imperative need to build a new standalone facility that truly reflects Urban Indigenous Education, rather than updating our current post-colonial structure.
Despite persistent efforts, our 2022, 2023, and 2024 attempts to secure new-build funding through the Ministry of Education's Capital Priorities Program have not yet been successful. Each year, we have made significant adjustments to our submissions to better align with Ministry benchmarks. In 2022, our proposal identified a 533 pupil place replacement school. By October 2023, we downsized the project to 397 pupil places and phased it to prioritize the school and childcare components.
The 2024 Capital Priorities submission reduced capacity to 304 pupil places and total square footage to 53,304, eliminating important elements like space for the Urban Indigenous Education Centre. This submission also requested funding that meets current Ministry benchmarks, in addition to the $11.5 million received in 2018. Based on the most recent Capital Priorities approval in 2023, the allocation per square foot was approximately $412, resulting in $21.96 million in funding—an increase of $10.45 million from 2018.
While the Ministry of Education indicated that our 2024 request for additional Capital Priorities funding was not approved, the TDSB can apply for funding throughout the year as we further develop plans for the standalone building. However, the current model, based on the 2017 Business Case to renovate 16 Phin, is no longer sufficient given that 2025 construction costs are closer to $650 per square foot. Considering the current market and ongoing challenges through the Capital Priorities Program, additional funding streams, including proceeds of disposition, donations, and alternate provincial and federal agencies, are essential.
The Urban Indigenous Community Advisory Committee and Board of Trustees are requesting transparent and accessible funding that reflects the current construction market and aligns with our commitments to Truth and Reconciliation and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter and for considering this request. We would be happy to meet at your convenience to discuss how we can achieve this shared goal.
Sincerely,
Neethan Shan
Chair, Toronto District School Board
Dr. Duke Redbird
Elders Council, Urban Indigenous Community Advisory Committee
CC: Canadian School Boards Association and Ontario Public School Boards' Association