The decision to change the name was made 'so that every student that walks through the door feels welcome,' school principal Darlene Fitzgerald said.

“It isn’t erasing history, it isn’t a slap in the face to the city of Kingston, it is simply trying to grant the level of recognition and dignity to thousands of people," said Jesse Bell, who participated in Saturday's protest.

On Monday, a woman was struck by a vehicle while attempting to walk across Sir John A. MacDonald Boulevard, and nearby residents say a crosswalk would make them feel safe.