Students at New School Will Learn Values that Ignited the ‘Queen of the Hurricanes’

Posted On Tuesday June 18, 2019
Elsie MacGill
(courtesy Library and Archives Canada/Credit: Ashley and Crippen/Elsie Gregory MacGill collection/PA-148464)

School board members, community representatives, students and parents have selected Elsie MacGill Public School as the name for the new north Oshawa school. 

Elsie MacGill was known as the "Queen of the Hurricanes" and is widely regarded as the world's first woman to earn an aeronautical engineering degree. She was the first woman in Canada to receive a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. MacGill worked as an aeronautical engineer during World War II and did much to establish Canada as a powerhouse in aircraft construction during her years at Canadian Car and Foundry (CC&F) in Fort William, Ontario. She later served as a commissioner on the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada from 1967 – 1970, and in March 2019 her legacy was nationally acknowledged by her being featured on a Canadian postage stamp. 

Elsie MacGill Public School is located at 800 Greenhill Avenue in Oshawa. It has a student capacity of 519 and is scheduled to open in September of 2019. 

“The continued growth in the neighbourhoods we serve is represented by students, parents and guardians in our Elsie MacGill Public School community,” says Darlene Forbes, Trustee for Oshawa. “This new school community now has a state-of-the-art facility they can call their own.”

Fellow Oshawa Trustee Ashley Noble states, “Our school community voice was heard in the selection of Elsie MacGill as the choice for the new school’s name. The name and history of Elsie MacGill will build on the foundational values found within the DDSB’s Ignite Learning Strategic Priorities and inspire student success and leadership, while serving to engage our new school community.”

Michael Barrett, Chair of the DDSB and Oshawa Trustee, is pleased to be able to complete the process of naming this new north Oshawa school. “We are very happy to announce the naming of our new school in Oshawa. As with any of our new schools, the name that has been chosen was completed through a consultation process that provided an opportunity for all to contribute, and reflects the leadership and history of our communities,” states Barrett. “This new school will play a pivotal role in contributing to the future success of students, staff, parents, guardians and the broader community.” 

The Durham District School Board (DDSB) is responsible for public education in the rural settings of Uxbridge, Brock and Scugog Townships and the urban settings of Ajax, Whitby, Pickering and Oshawa. The DDSB employs 7,600 teaching and educational services staff. With 132 elementary and secondary schools and learning centres, the DDSB accommodates more than 70,000 regular day students and thousands more who take advantage of a wide variety of continuing education and adult credit courses. More information can be found on the DDSB’s website at www.ddsb.ca. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @DurhamDSB and YouTube at DurhamDSB.