HDSB Board select ‘Elsie MacGill Secondary School’ as name for new Milton secondary school

Elsie MacGill Secondary School is scheduled to open in Fall 2021 At the April 7 Board meeting, Halton District School Board Trustees selected “Elsie MacGill Secondary School” as the name for the new Milton secondary school, which is located at 1410 Bronte Street South in southwest Milton. Elsie MacGill (1905-1980) was the first woman to earn a Master’s degree in aeronautical engineering (1929). She was also the first practising Canadian female engineer and aircraft designer. In 1940, she became chief aeronautical engineer and oversaw the Canadian production of Hawker Hurricane fighter planes during WW2, producing more than 1,450 aircrafts. An active feminist, MacGill held numerous leadership roles in business and was also a member of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada (1967-70). MacGill is a recipient of the Order of Canada. “Elsie MacGill’s engineering and science background provides a good fit to the I-STEM program which will be offered at the school beginning in September 2022,” says Mark Duley, Principal of Elsie MacGill Secondary School. “I-STEM stands for Innovation, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, which is an interdisciplinary program pairing classroom learning with experiential learning and mentorship.” Students, families and Milton community members submitted suggestions for the name of the new school earlier this year. A shortlist of names was developed by a committee that included Trustees and parents whose children will attend the school when it opens. The school, which is currently under construction, is scheduled to open in Fall 2021. The three-story accessible school will feature 21st century teaching layouts, air conditioning with individual classroom controls, triple gym, bus lay-by and student drop-off area. It will also have a Community Pathways Program hub, which will accommodate four classrooms with a common kitchen area and sensory rooms.