For the past 40 years, Renton Patterson has worked tirelessly to change the province of Ontario’s discriminatory practice of financially supporting a school system for people of the Catholic faith. Over these years Patterson compiled extensive information about the effects of funding Catholic School boards, including the social, financial, and human rights costs, and founded a group called CRIPE (Civil Rights in Public Education) to draw attention to this issue.
He has advocated tirelessly, individually, and through CRIPE to change this human rights violation. In his advancing years, Patterson has worked to ensure that the work he has put into compiling this information and advocacy is available for future generations. He has supported others who have similar goals and is seeking options to ensure that the records he has painstakingly compiled are retained for future use.
Although politicians in Ontario appear averse to opening this dialogue, the United Nations Human Rights Commission censured Canada in 1999 for discrimination on the basis of religion. They found that Canada should either eliminate funding for schools of one religious denomination or make such funding available to all religions. This is the foundation of Patterson’s concerns and arguments.
Patterson founded and led CRIPE. The scope of Patterson’s exploration of the public funding of schools of one faith is broad. Patterson has compiled two banker boxes (over 30 binders) related to this issue. For over 20 years he hosted a CRIPEweb.org, first by enlisting a grandchild to set it up, later involving a friend, and finally turning it over to a professional. In 2021 CRIPE created a Facebook community about this issue.
Patterson — with the support of volunteers from CRIPE — researched and catalogued information about the human rights implications of publicly funding Catholic Schools, the cost of doing so, and the impact on children and society. Patterson also wrote, printed, and mailed a quarterly newsletter to subscribers to share this information.
CRIPE was an offshoot of Friends of Public Education, which was started in the Southwestern Ontario town of Harrow. Although Patterson lived in Eastern Ontario, he took the initiative (in the days before Zoom) to travel to Harrow to assist as much as possible. When the members of Friends of Public Education became too old to do this work Patterson took over and eventually changed the name to CRIPE to make it clear that this was a human rights issue.
Government secularism — or neutrality in matters of religion — requires that all religions are treated equally. Therefore, either the government must fund schools for every creed, or should provide one public school system that is available to all. But it runs deeper.
The Catholic School system’s hiring practices are discriminatory. Qualified non-Catholic teachers are not able to access employment in the Catholic school system, while qualified Catholic teachers can access employment in either the Catholic or the public school system. Effectively, non-Catholic teachers were barred from even applying for one out of every three teaching positions in the province.
Patterson also raised concerns that the Catholic School system teaches tenets of the Catholic faith which are in violation of Ontario’s Human Rights Code. Specifically, Catholic Schools are difficult places for queer youth, with the school system following “Canon Law.“ Homosexuality is described as “intrinsically disordered” and “contrary to natural law,” according to Professor Tonya Callaghan of the University of Calgary, who goes on to say that Catholic sexual teaching is characterized by a condemnation of contraception, abortion, masturbation and divorce.
Although the human rights violation of Ontario’s school funding model initially drew Patterson to the cause, he and CRIPE also looked at other issues that might persuade governments to rectify this situation, including finances and impact on students and society.
The group researched and shared information about the cost of running two parallel systems. In 2012, the Federation of Urban Neighbourhoods of Ontario reported that operating separate Catholic and public school boards cost Ontario taxpayers at least $1.2 billion. This additional cost includes a) bussing, often to schools further from students’ homes, b) school board advertising, required to attract students to the Catholic board, especially in rural and northern communities, and c) duplication of administrative costs and infrastructure.
Perhaps, most importantly, Patterson points out that children and society are not served well by our current divided system. By dividing children into two school systems, in smaller communities there are an insufficient number of students in each system to offer optional courses. This limits children’s exposure to new ideas and access to courses that might spark a passion.
In a time where polarization, divisiveness and racism are undermining human rights advances that have taken decades to achieve, the separation of students by creed perpetuates divisiveness. It is a poor policy, one that is harmful to students of all creeds and to society as a whole.
Patterson is 90 years old. After almost 30 years of “fighting,” he can no longer spearhead this campaign. However, he has taken some extraordinary measures to preserve the work he has done and pass the torch to new advocates.
Patterson has created the website “upsetting.ca” and made provisions for it to be maintained for at least 10 years. He is also in the process of applying for his records to be retained in the archives of Ontario. Renton was a supporter and resource for the OPEN (One Public Education Now) charter challenge of Catholic School funding. Most recently, he has supported the Alumni to Amend Section 93 (AA93) who are appreciative of his experience and advice.
Patterson has strived to make Ontario a better place. Aside from his work with CRIPE, Patterson is passionate about electric vehicles. As early as 1974, as part of a technology course he was teaching, students built an electric vehicle. His early entry into the issue of environmental sustainability is another indication that Patterson is passionate about leaving the world a better place.
The Daniel G. Hill Human Rights Award is intended to promote the human rights of individuals and communities, and to recognize an individual displaying ongoing initiative, leadership, and dedication, who is an individual of good character. The award seeks to recognize innovation and creativity and someone who has engaged community members to advance human rights. Patterson checks all of these boxes and, at 90 years of age, certainly is deserving of the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Renton Patterson is one of the most outstanding, kind, genuine, conscientious (and not to mention tenacious!) people I know, and have the privilege of calling my friend.