Student files FOI to find out why it cost $175K to rename Waterloo high school A student is raising questions about a public school board’s financial priorities, after learning more than $175,000 was spent to rename a high school in Waterloo, Ont. Trustees at the Waterloo Region District School Board voted in 2021 to rename Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary School due to the prime minister’s founding role in the residential school system. In a statement to CTV News, the board’s current director of education, Scott Miller, said the decision was “part of our ongoing commitment to Truth and Reconciliation and ensuring inclusive learning environments where all students feel safe, welcomed and respected.” The school was officially renamed Laurel Heights Secondary School in 2022. Grade 10 student Ishan Acharya wondered how much that decision cost. When no one was able to tell him, he filed a freedom of information (FOI) request with the Waterloo Region District School Board. They provided him with a list of expenses, totalling $195,105.86, or $176,466.50 net with an HST rebate. “It just appalled me,” Acharya told CTV News. “I don’t know who decided to spend this much money when students were struggling.” The majority of the expenses were for sports uniforms and equipment. “I don’t think there’s any improvement to the actual school. It was just buying stuff that already existed or replacing stuff that was already there,” Acharya said. Miller explained, in his statement to CTV News, “The decision to rename the school followed extensive engagement with students, parents, families, caregivers, staff, Indigenous communities and the broader community. We heard clearly from many members of the community that the previous name did not reflect the inclusive and welcoming learning environments we strive to create for all students.” As for the more than $175,000 price tag, Miller said, “Those costs were anticipated as part of the process, and the board understood that implementing these changes would require the investment.” Acharya still questions the use of taxpayer dollars and the board’s priorities. He said there are students at Laurel Heights who do not eat lunch because they cannot afford it. He also pointed to the temporary closure of Elizabeth Ziegler Public School over structural concerns, as another example of where the money should go. “I believe everybody wants all of our peers to be in a safe learning environment where they feel welcome, especially Indigenous students,” Acharya said. “But spending $200,000 to rename a school is just… I don’t think it was needed at all. That money could have been spent in a lot of other places.” In his statement, Miller noted that, “Many school boards, municipalities, universities and public institutions across Canada have undertaken similar reviews and renaming processes in recent years as part of advancing commitments to Truth and Reconciliation, responding to community feedback and ensuring inclusive spaces.” The Ontario government also updated legislation in 2025 to require approval from the Minister of Education when renaming a school. Plans for three schools in Toronto, including Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute in Scarborough, were abandoned by the provincially-appointed supervisor at that school board in 2025. As for Acharya, he hoped that by sharing the cost to rename Laurel Heights Secondary School, more thought would be put into future spending decisions at school boards across the province. “When you’re making decisions for students, always consider how many students are you helping,” he suggested. “And are these critical services or changes that will actually help students?” Acharya would also like to see more transparency from the Waterloo Region District School Board. “I, a student, shouldn’t have went through a whole FOI process to find out the total cost to rename the school,” he said. “It should have been open and transparent to the public.” Jarvis, Ont., man wins $44 million Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball jackpot Canada’s newest multi-millionaire hails from Jarvis, Ont. Emidio S. is the winner of the $44 million Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball jackpot. He was on his early morning commute when a radio announcer said the jackpot had been won by someone in the province, but didn’t mention where they were from. Emidio said he checked his email and then the OLG app. “The email looked a little different than normal. I logged into my OLG.ca account and was shocked when I saw the prize amount. Was it $4,400? Or $44,000?” Emidio recalled. “I signed out of my OLG.ca account, logged back in, and saw the $44 million figure again. I couldn’t wrap my head around it!” He is now officially retired and will focus on travelling and spending time with his family. Four suspects involved in robbery and shooting of armoured vehicle employee at Waterloo, Ont. bank An employee of an armoured vehicle company was shot early Wednesday morning at a bank in Waterloo, Ont. Gunshots rang out at the Scotiabank branch near Fischer Hallman Road and Erb Street West around 2:30 a.m. An injured 40-year-old man was transported to a hospital outside the region. “The victim, an employee of the armoured vehicle company, had been approached by multiple unknown individuals and was subsequently shot,” Waterloo Region Police wrote in a media release. Inspector Alison Sproule described the man’s injuries as “significant” and called it a targeted robbery involving at least four suspects. No descriptions of those individuals were shared with the media. GardaWorld confirmed one of their vehicles was involved in a “security incident.” “The safety and wellbeing of our employees remain our highest priority, and we are focused on supporting the affected crew member, their family, and our local team, while fully cooperating with law enforcement,” they wrote in an email to CTV News. Teamsters Canada, the union representing GardaWorld workers, said the man was shot multiple times but, as of Thursday morning, he was out of surgery and in stable condition. “There are no easy words for this. A shooting like this is something few people in Canada’s armoured car industry have lived through. We are all feeling the shock and anger,” representatives from Local Union 879 said. The bank also emailed a statement to CTV News. “At Scotiabank, the safety and security of our employees, partners and clients is our top priority,” they wrote. “We are working closely with law enforcement as they investigate.” Police asked anyone who witnessed the shooting, or has security video of the area, to call 519-570-9777. They also said their Break, Enter, Auto Theft and Robbery Unit, as well as the General Investigations Unit, are investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Stratford resident last seen almost two months ago Stratford Police are asking for the public’s help to find a missing resident. Victoria was last seen in Waterloo on March 16. She’s described as a white female, approximately 5’6” tall, with a thin build, short blue hair and brown eyes. Police said Victoria has the word “poet” tattooed on her shoulder, as well as a pink flower on her inner bicep. Anyone with information on Victoria’s whereabouts is asked to call the Stratford Police Service at 519-271-4141, ext. 2. Six injured, including two children, in serious Wellesley Township crash Waterloo Regional Police Service are investigating a serious two-vehicle collision in Wellesley Township that sent six people to hospital Saturday afternoon. Emergency crews were called to the intersection of Moser Young Road and Hessen Strasse Road around 3:45 p.m. after reports of a collision involving a Mazda and a Toyota. Police said five occupants of the Mazda, including two children, were transported to a local hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the Toyota was also taken to hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening. Investigators said a hydro pole sustained significant damage in the crash, forcing the roadway to remain closed for several hours while repairs were completed and members of the Traffic Services Unit conducted their investigation. Police said the investigation remains ongoing and charges are anticipated.
