Indigenous Relations
Indigenous Landmarks & Monuments Review
Contact Us
For more information regarding the City of Hamilton’s Landmarks and Monuments Review contact Indigenous Relations.
Phone 905-546-2424
Email [email protected]
Honouring Our Indigenous Roots
Landmarks & Monuments Review
The City is seeking community feedback on high-priority landmarks and monument sites that were identified as potentially problematic by Indigenous community members as part of the Honouring Our Roots Circle of Experts.
In June 2019, Hamilton City Council endorsed the City of Hamilton’s Urban Indigenous Strategy (UIS). The UIS was created through community consultation, and 40 actions were identified for the City to undertake to strengthen its path towards reconciliation.
As part of the UIS implementation, a staff team called the Indigenous Landmarks and Monuments Working Group was developed in 2020 to provide information and review existing and new landmarks, spaces and markers that reflect the full history of the Indigenous community in Hamilton.
In July 2021, Hamilton City Council directed staff to undertake a Review that will identify short and long-term opportunities to address Indigenous and historical landmarks, spaces and markers across the city.
In 2021-2022, the City worked with the Indigenous consulting firm, First Peoples Group to take on this work. First People’s Group engaged six Indigenous elders, historians, museum experts, and artists called the Circle of Experts to review statues, landmarks, monuments, and plaques in the City of Hamilton and to see how these sites impact Indigenous people. This work culminated in an Honouring Our Roots report that identified five high-priority sites that may be potentially problematic to Indigenous people. The report also recommended the hiring of new City staff to take on this work specifically, including creating educational material on these high-priority sites, and then engaging with the public regarding them.
In 2023, two new employees were hired for the City of Hamilton’s Indigenous Relations Team to lead the next steps in the Landmarks and Monuments Review.
Public Education and Engagement (Summer and Fall 2024)
The City’s Indigenous Relations team will be seeking community feedback on high-priority landmarks and monument sites that were identified as potentially problematic by Indigenous knowledge keepers, elders, and Indigenous community members as part of the Honouring Our Roots Circle of Experts.
This project aims to provide a more equitable, balanced and inclusive representation of Indigenous peoples’ histories and contributions in Hamilton and, in the spirit of reconciliation, contributes to the education about the history of colonialism in Canada.
Landmarks & Monuments Educational Video on Indigenous Perspectives
Landmarks & Monuments Review Engagement
Renaming of Kanétskare (formerly Ryerson) Recreation Centre - November 2023
On November 10, 2023, Ryerson Recreation Centre was renamed Kanétskare Recreation Centre (pronounced Ga-nét-sga-re). All registered and drop-in programs at this location will be accessible by searching for Kanétskare Recreation Centre.
Video of the pronunciation of Kanétskare
How can recreation users find programs at this facility?
When the name change takes effect, all mention of Ryerson Recreation Centre online and in registration systems will be replaced with Kanétskare Recreation Centre. This will not affect registration status for any members of the public (anyone already registered in programs will still be signed up, but the facility will now be listed as Kanétskare Recreation Centre).
Why is this facility being renamed?
Due to Egerton Ryerson’s relationship to the residential school system, in July of 2021, a motion was approved by City Council to remove the name “Ryerson” from the recreation centre.
Who was the facility originally named after?
Egerton Ryerson was the Chief Superintendent of Education in Upper Canada from 1844 to 1876 and advocated for a school system for Indigenous children that would focus on teaching the Christian religion, and on labour rather than actual education. In his words, the goal of these schools was to “civilize” Indigenous peoples. This framework is widely believed to be the basis for the residential school system.
What was the impact of the residential school system?
The impacts of the residential school system are still being felt by Indigenous peoples and communities today in many ways, some of which are:
- Intergenerational Trauma
- Loss of Language
- Loss of Culture
- Mistrust of Government, Healthcare, and Educational Systems
- Breakdown of Family Structures
In May 2021, it was announced that the remains of 215 children were found in unmarked graves at the Kamloops Residential school. The announcement understandably caused massive pain for Indigenous peoples across Canada and overall triggered the start of many politically active movements against figures like Egerton Ryerson.
Changing the name of this recreation centre to Kanétskare is an example of revitalizing Indigenous language and a step to right some of the wrongs of the past.
City of Hamilton Actions
What are some steps that the City of Hamilton is taking to acknowledge and reconcile this systematic wrongdoing?
In 2021 the City of Hamilton procured First Peoples Group, an Indigenous consulting firm, to do a systematic review of high-priority landmarks and monuments across the City that may be problematic for Indigenous people. First Peoples Group consulted with a Circle of Experts that included Indigenous elders, historians, artists, and leaders which resulted in the creation of a report called Honouring Our Roots that identified 5 high-priority problematic sites, with the Ryerson Recreation Centre being 1 of those 5 sites.
At the same time, in June 2021, members of the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) motioned to rename the Ryerson Elementary school (which is adjacent to the recreation centre) in consultation with members of the Indigenous community. Following a process led by a Naming Circle created for this purpose, the school’s name was changed to Kanétskare (pronounced Ga-nét-sga-re), a Mohawk word meaning “Bay” or “Inlet” in June 2022. The intent from the renaming committee is that this word could be interpreted as “By the Bay” for the Kanétskare school. In May 2023, a motion was approved by Council to rename the recreation centre to match the new name of the elementary school.
More information on the ongoing work at sites across the City of Hamilton is available on the Landmarks & Monuments project page.
What other work is the City of Hamilton’s Indigenous Relations Team engaged in?
Visit Indigenous Relations for more information about the ongoing reconciliation efforts led by the City of Hamilton.
Temporary Signs for High-Priority Sites - June 2023
Temporary, interpretive signage was placed at four of the high-priority sites (Sir John A MacDonald, Queen Victoria, Augustus Jones, and United Empire Loyalist). The wording of the signage was developed in consultation with the Circle of Experts, which includes Elders, historians, artists and leaders from the Indigenous community with diverse backgrounds. This signage is meant to let the community know that we have identified these sites as potentially problematic for Indigenous people, and that we are working on gathering the full history behind them. These signs were translated in the Mohawk and Anishinaabemowin languages as well, and QR codes were placed on the signs so that the audio of each language could be heard.
Date modified