Edmonton’s Oliver School getting a new Indigenous name

Edmonton’s Oliver School will no longer be known by that name.

The school is being renamed wîhkwêntôwin School, Edmonton Public Schools announced Tuesday.

Wîhkwêntôwin is a Cree word that means “a Circle of Friends.” The Oliver neighbourhood was also renamed wîhkwêntôwin earlier this year.

The school and neighbourhood were named after Frank Oliver, a journalist and politician who is known for starting the city’s first newspaper, the Edmonton Bulletin.

As federal minister of the interior and the superintendent general of Indian affairs under Sir Wilfrid Laurier, from 1905-1911, Oliver supported legislation that forced Indigenous People from their land. He was also instrumental in federal policies that limited immigration from non-European countries.

“Students, staff and families of the school were engaged in a meaningful and thorough way during community consultation conducted by the community league, and feel wîhkwêntôwin reflects the values of the school community,” EPSB said in a news release.

WATCH: City council approves new name for the Oliver Community

Dropping Oliver’s name from the neighbourhood – and namesakes within it – has been something advocates have been demanding for years.

The school board called the renaming part of its commitment to reconciliation, anti-racism and equity.

The name will be changed online first, followed by new signage at the school “over the next few months.”