Lynn McDonald, Op/EdThe BridgeMarch 2025 They are still at it: more false accusations against Egerton Ryerson. A story I wrote for...
Read MoreThe aim of the Friends of Egerton Ryerson is to restore his good reputation, now after years of vilification through false accusations, petitions, blogs, etc. We do not seek to restore the Ryerson name at the now Toronto Metropolitan University, but urge it to honour him, its namesake for 73 years. As is clear pn this website, Ryerson had NOTHING to do with the design or implementation of the residential school system, as a plaque, still up at TMU, falsely states. He was responsible for the design and implementation of free public schools in the then Canada West, a reform taken up across the country.
Ryerson was always pro-Indigenous, indeed named a “brother” by an Ojibwe chief and given an Ojibwe name, “Cheechock”, for all his support. He himself learned Ojibwe.
The fine Ryerson statue at the entrance to the then Ryerson University was toppled in 2021, the head tossed into Toronto Harbour, later retrieved and put on a stake at Caledonia, near the Six Nations. It has since disappeared, and, as the ad to the right shows, we seek its return.
NOTE
Prior to the March 25th, 2026 lecture given by TMU Professor, Patrice Dutil, titled Egerton Ryerson as a Humanist, an attempt was made
to advertise the event in the TMU student publication, The Eye Opener. Initially, it was approved and paid for. But on the morning of March 18th,
the day the print issue came out, instead, we received the following letter. Clearly, our mandate to amplify the truth about Egerton Ryerson's legacy is perceived by some as
"harmful messaging toward marginalized groups on campus".
Did You Know?
That Ryerson had NO connection with the harmful system, brought in after his death, but instead supported the voluntary, bilingual (Ojibway and English) schools that Indigenous leaders themselves wanted. They (and he) wanted better economic opportunities for Indigenous people and the ability to communicate with government officials and settlers. Bilingual schools made sense.
Indigenous people were at a low ebb when Ryerson went to live with the Missisaugas of the Credit in 1826. They had lost most of their land, their numbers were down (the Ojibway had lost 60% of their people) and alcohol had become a serious problem. Ryerson helped them with economic development. He had been a “farm boy” and taught them sustainable farming and carpentry he had learned at home.
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