Hundreds of Kipling Collegiate Institute alumni are up in arms over what they see as an attempt to erase their high school’s history by getting rid of its name, while current students and parents argue the change will help build a more accepting community.

Starting next year, Kipling students will be joined by those currently attending soon-to-be-closed Scarlett Heights Entrepreneurial Academy. They’ll all go to the brick-and-mortar currently called Kipling, but it will have an undetermined new name, some new programming and a branding overhaul that could include new school colours and mascots.

The school board says even though changing school boundaries doesn’t normally result in a school getting a rebrand, this particular change was recommended by community members who feel it will spell a “fresh start” for students from both schools.

Patti Shevlin, who graduated from the school in 1977, started an online petition arguing that the school board’s reasons for changing the name “stink of political correctness.”

She questions why the name needs to be shed in order to make current and future students more comfortable, and thinks the school’s likeliest namesake — Rudyard Kipling — is worthy of the honour.

Rudyard Kipling was a 19th Century British writer as well-known for justifying colonialism and the subjugation of non-white people as he is for writing The Jungle Book. The association lends moral undertones to an already heated community debate.

Ryan Bird, a Toronto District School Board spokesperson, said the idea for the name change didn’t originate with the board and did not have information on whether the association with Rudyard Kipling had anything to do with discussions on changing the name at the community level.

“I think it’s important that people know that regardless of the potential name change, the history of both Kipling CI and Scarlett Heights will be celebrated,” Bird said.

Around 800 people had signed Shevlin’s petition Thursday. Signatories pointed out a long history of athletic and artistic achievement at the school, and distinguished alumni like classical guitarist Liona Boyd and Liberal MP Kirsty Duncan, the science minister.

“Everyone who graduated, or even attended, that I've heard from, strongly believes that changing the name of the school would erase our connection to our past,” Shevlin said.

In 2016-17, Scarlett Heights had a 26 per cent utilization rate and only 222 students enrolled. Kipling had 393 students, a 41 per cent utilization rate.

Current students at Kipling Collegiate don’t all have an affinity for their school’s name. Some say that if a new name for the school will help ease the transition for students within the new boundaries, it will be worth it.

“I think the school has a bad image,” said Grade 12 student Feras Dukmak, who thinks the nearby Martingrove Collegiate Institute has a better reputation for program offerings.

He said combining the schools and giving the combined location a fresh brand will give a leg up for the new generation of students.

Grade 9 student Jamal Anthony agreed shedding the name will help the students from Scarlett Heights feel more welcome.

“I think if anything they should have combined the names,” Anthony said.

Many TDSB schools are named after the streets and neighbourhoods surrounding them. That seems to be the case for Kipling C.I., which opened in 1960 close to Kipling Ave.

The history of that street name itself, though, is mysterious.

Leonard Wise, Toronto lawyer and author of Toronto Street Names, said he couldn’t precisely confirm the street name’s origins — but he’s convinced it’s named after the British writer.

“The coincidence is too staggering,” he said.

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Rudyard Kipling visited Toronto in 1907 — the same year Kipling Ave. was named. He was scheduled to visit the then-village of Woodbridge, and was promised, stories say, that the road leading to Woodbridge would be named after him to mark the occasion.

“The funny part of the story (is) that he didn’t show up but they went through with it anyways,” Wise said.

Whatever the reason for changing the school’s name, Wise said he doesn’t think Rudyard Kipling is a name worth preserving.

“In those days they named things after people that didn’t deserve it,” Wise said.

Dukmak thinks the top priority should be making all new students feel welcome. For a class project on rebranding the school he submitted the idea of the school name “Skipling.”

Another student, Ben Karpis, suggested the late lead singer of the Tragically Hip, Gord Downie would make a good namesake for the school.

The school board is accepting suggestions from community members for new names until Jan. 12.

Quickfacts on British author Rudyard Kipling:

Author of celebrated books The Jungle Book (1894) and Kim (1901).

Awarded the Nobel Prize in literature in 1907, and was nominated thrice prior.

Was well known for writing poetry and prose that justified imperialism and the subjugation of non-white people, the most famous of which was the 1899 poem The White Man’s Burden.

Visited Toronto on a North America tour in 1907, staying at the King Edward Hotel and speaking to a sold-out crowd at the Canadian Club.

Advocated for racist immigration policies on his trip to Toronto. He was quoted in the Star as saying “The way to keep the yellow man out is to get the white man in” in 1907.

Broke his promise to open the Woodbridge Fair on his 1907 trip, giving the excuse through his wife that he had to answer mail from England

Correction – November 9, 2017: This article was edited from a previous version that misspelled the surname of Patti Shevlin.