Yoyo Yan

The family's rich history blossoms as the sharp-witted great-great-grandmother will turn 102 in June while twins are due in August.

The town emphasizes ongoing efforts to adjust schedules based on community feedback.

The ongoing controversy surrounding the naming of a new public school in Vaughan shows no signs of abating, resparking discussions about the practice of naming schools after individuals. The upcoming Kleinburg school, located near Nashville and Huntington roads and set to open in September, plans to bear the name Tanya Khan Public School, in honour of a late beloved local teacher. But thousands of residents have their thumbs down. “Why is the board so tied to this name? We have clearly demonstrated a flaw occurred during the voting process,” questioned resident Bhawna Bagai in an email to Bill Cober, director of education in York Region District School Board. “What is the board's hesitation with holding another vote for the local community?” Bagai continued. “Certainly another survey could be used with voters, including address and postal code info, to ensure only local community voices are heard.” According to a financial statement obtained by YorkRegion.com, local trustee Nadeem Mahmood received a $250 donation from Asif Khan, Tanya's husband, and $300 from Ahsan Khan, Tanya's brother-in-law, during the 2022 municipal elections. Bagai further raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest stemming from these contributions. From left, YRDSB trustee Nadeem Mahmood, Vaughan's then mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua and Education Minister Stephen Lecce made an announcement at the site for a new Kleinburg Nashville Public School, April 8, 2022. However, the board maintains that the naming of the school adhered to the established process. “While I appreciate you may not agree with the process or its outcome, the naming followed established board policy and was unanimously approved by the Board of Trustees,” wrote Cober in a reply to Bagai. Certain residents are demanding that the board address their concerns, with plans to stage protests at the board headquarters and organize school walkouts for their children. “Do you seriously think forcing this decision on our community will have positive results over the long term? Many residents we have spoken with are now considering alternative schooling options, including private school,” said Bagai. “That should not be the mandate of YRDSB; to cause strife in local communities,” New Kleinburg Local Community said in a group email to the board. “Our request is a reasonable one; either a new vote, held only for our community to determine the name of the school, or reverting the school name back to the community's choice: Nashville Public School.” But supporters have their perspectives to share too. “I am hurt and offended at the backlash.” “Tanya Khan was a dear friend of mine and an inspirational woman. Naming the school after her, a short distance away from where she taught, was the perfect tribute to this incredible woman,” commented Saadia on thestar.com. “I am hurt and offended at the backlash. I think it is nothing but racism and Islamophobia that is pushing this move and am appalled it is getting any attention.” In 2020, some locals had advocated for the former Vaughan Secondary School to be named after Tanya Khan when the board voted to rename the school to distance itself from Benjamin Vaughan, an 18th-century slave owner who openly opposed abolition. Ironically, that proposal was defeated by the decision to honour Hodan Nalayeh, a Somali-Canadian journalist tragically killed in an attack on a hotel in Somalia, who had previously resided in Vaughan. “In our case, a community organization with national reach posted a very misleading communication on their website, and garnered tens of thousands of signatures on a petition from across the world, to force that name on our school,” said a resident on condition of anonymity. “The board withheld crucial information regarding the origin of survey responses. I'm so upset that the board did not learn its lesson.” “Naming public spaces and institutions is contentious, often elitist, certainly populist, and unnecessary.” Naming schools after namesakes may indeed be a root cause of all the contentions, some residents argue. “This is why we chose a name representative of the community and not of any one person,” Kleinburg residents stated. “Naming public spaces and institutions is contentious, often elitist, certainly populist, and unnecessary,” commented Stephanie. In light of school renaming controversies of recent years, Simcoe County and Hamilton's public boards are revisiting their policies to halt the practice of naming schools after individuals. Instead, they aim to focus on geographic locations, landmarks, and natural features. In Hamilton, a 2022 survey garnered responses from nearly 500 students, staff, and community members, with more than 300 expressing opposition to naming schools after people. The YRDSB did not provide any update or comment regarding its school naming policy change. is a reporter for the Markham Economist & Sun and YorkRegion.com. This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. End of dialog window. This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Metroland account holder. If you do not yet have a Metroland account, you can create one now (it is free). To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile. Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation

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Correction comes after backlash from the revelation that the Star of David has long been excluded due to the belief that it “carries political connotations” with the state of Israel.