DUNDAS: City's process to choose name Sankofa Square flawed from start

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Let’s talk about revitalizing our beloved Yonge-Dundas Square at the heart of Toronto.

A new research study on rebranding the square under its new name, Sankofa Square, is out. Called, “Sankofa Square Community Research Study: Public Consultations and insights on the rebranding of Yonge-Dundas Square to Sankofa Square,” it’s supposed to help the city decide how to make the square a more vibrant hub of cultural activities and bring all Torontonians from all backgrounds together.

I am all for revitalizing the square to make it an exciting destination for locals and tourists.  But, here’s what caught my eye. The study notes significant problems with public “buy-in” for renaming it “Sankofa Square.”

I think I know why.

The study, following on the city’s original inaccurate accusations about Henry Dundas, reflects a skewed and exaggerated version of Canada’s history. In my view, this limits its ability to promote a vision of a gathering place that truly unifies the entire city.

The study claims, for example, that under British rule, Indigenous people were enslaved. Let’s get this straight: long before the British showed up, slavery was a complex beast in this part of North America, where First Nations both owned and traded in slaves.

This continued into the 18th and early 19th centuries, when First Nations expanded their involvement to include Black slaves.  The study, however, paints Indigenous peoples solely as victims, which not only sanitizes their role in the enslavement of Black people but muddies the waters of our collective history.

Such historical gymnastics about our shared past – exaggerating stories of oppression while suppressing stories of moral achievement – do more harm than good. They don’t just misinform; they alienate us from each other.

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When historical truth is stretched, it fuels a sense of injustice among marginalized communities and undermines support from those who reject these inaccurate narratives.

The name “Sankofa” — meaning to look back in order to move forward — stands for integrity in recounting our past. It’s a worthy concept. There is, however, a reason why the renamed square faces an uphill battle with “buy-in” (As low as 16% a year ago, according to an opinion poll).

The entire project started on the wrong foot back in 2020, when the city rejected the wisdom of some of the world’s most eminent historians and then cancelled the promised public consultations, twice. The city’s atrociously bad research was then shielded from public view until just before Toronto council voted to proceed with renaming.

I knew that renaming would never fly with Torontonians if the city failed to state the historical facts about Henry Dundas — who convinced Scottish courts to abolish slavery — honestly.  When I was a prosecutor, I saw firsthand how people could accept tough outcomes if they saw that the process was fair and based on well-established facts.

But, with Dundas Street and Sankofa Square, the process was flawed from the start. The city got the facts wrong and suppressed the truth about Henry Dundas’ plan for abolition of the Atlantic Slave Trade. Predictably, the city now has a credibility crisis.

Mayor Olivia Chow and city councillors, take note: if you want people to rally behind change, you’ve got to play it straight. And for those at the Toronto District School Board, as you embark on renaming schools with the names Dundas, Ryerson and Sir John A. Macdonald, let this be a lesson.

Let’s honour our history by telling it truthfully, not by cherry-picking facts to fit a narrative of oppression.

Here’s to hoping we can move forward, not just with a new name for our square, but with a renewed commitment to the truth.

— Jennifer Dundas is a distant relative of Henry Dundas and has worked as a Crown prosecutor and a CBC political affairs reporter.