Indigenous name chosen for elementary school in north Oshawa opening this fall

A new elementary school in north Oshawa may have been delayed a year while the Province dragged their feet letting the project go to tender but the school is finally set to open its doors this fall.

And now the school has a name: Maamawi iyaawag Public School, which means ‘they are gathered here together’ in the Anishinaabemowin language.

The name for the school, located at the corner of Windfields Farm Drive and Wintergrace Avenue in the rapidly growing Windfields neighbourhood, was approved at a Durham District School Board meeting on June 24 after consultation with the Indigenous and broader school community.

“The Naming Committee felt strongly that an Indigenous school name would demonstrate allyship, action and commitment to truth and reconciliation,” declared a statement from the board, adding that the name will provide staff, students and the community with an opportunity to “learn and grow together.”

“This name symbolizes the bringing together of this community.”

Provisionally dubbed ‘North Oshawa Public School,’ the school was originally scheduled to open in the fall of 2023 – along with a new consolidated public school in Beaverton and an addition to Mary Street Community School in downtown Oshawa – but delays in getting construction approvals pushed groundbreaking for the projects back.

Approval to award the tender for the north Oshawa public school was finally granted in January of 2023 with a provincial investment of $22.2 million, along with $3.8 million in additional funding.

The community was then invited to participate in the naming of the school by submitting suggestions, with that process ending this past spring.

The school board said the new school marks a “significant milestone” for the north Oshawa community with “high-quality student programming” to meet the long-term needs of the neighbourhood. “Together, we are laying the foundation for a bright and promising future for our students.”

Maamawi iyaawag Public School will house 536 new student spaces as well as four child care rooms and 73 new child care spaces.