The Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows school board is getting the public to weigh in on naming its new school in Albion.
In February, the Ministry of Education announced funding for a long-awaited elementary school in the Albion area of Maple Ridge. It is scheduled to open in September 2019.
The school board is seeking online input on three options, and will also allow members of the public to pitch a name of their own.
The three names:James Sinclair Elementary School: Sinclair was the first school teacher in Maple Ridge in 1875 at the age of 17, teaching the children of some 20 families in the area. He was known for rowing a boat across the Fraser River each school day to collect the children from two families. By 1878, he was teaching high school courses, giving Maple Ridge the distinction of being the first school in the Lower Mainland to offer courses at that level.
Baker Elementary School: Peter Baker was an early French settler from Quebec and the business partner of Samuel Robertson, who was among the first non-native settlers of Maple Ridge. His seven children were prominent in the history of the city. The farmlands owned by Baker and Robertson made up the land that is known today as Albion Flats; 240th Street used to be called Peter Baker Street and the street to the north of our property is called Baker Place.
Spencer Creek Elementary School: The stream in the riparian area of the property is a tributary to Spencer Creek.
The school district has a policy for naming school facililities, which says new schools are to be named in reference to historical, geographical or operational characteristics. Special consideration is to be given to names that will have significant meaning to students and members of the community.
Whenever possible, if the school is to be named in honour of a person, the consent of the individual is to be obtained. If the school is to be named after a deceased person, except for a person of distinction, the closest surviving relatives should approve.
The name survey is available on the district website.
At the June 21 meeting, the board will make a final decision on the name.