Saskatoon Tribal Council Chief calls for John A. Macdonald road to be renamed
In the wake of the discovery of 215 unmarked children's graves at a residential school in Kamloops, the head of the Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC) is calling for John A. MacDonald Road to be renamed.
Tribal Chief Mark Arcand is asking the city to rename the street Reconciliation Road.
Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada's first prime minister is considered an architect of the residential school system.
Arcand believes the renaming will lead to reconciliation and healing for the many people that endured pain and suffering as a result of the residential school system, an STC news release said.
Arcand is expected to push for the name change during a press conference scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday afternoon at wâhkôhtowin School.
CITY COUNCIL RESPONDS
In a news release, Ward 3 Coun. David Kirton and Mayor Clark said they will begin the renaming process at City Council’s June 21, 2021 Governance and Priorities Committee meeting.
“This is just one more small step in the long road to Reconciliation,” Kirton said. “I still continue on a personal journey to understand how the Residential School system affected my family. We cannot hope to achieve reconciliation without taking such actions.”
Kirton will ask administration to begin the process for the name change as a way to acknowledge the ongoing harm in the community experienced by the Residential Schools and the role that John A. Macdonald played in this part of history, the release said.
“It is time to make this change and honour the truths that Residential School Survivors have shared about the impacts of these schools through generations,” Clark said.
“We can work together between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities to ensure this is a process that builds understanding of our shared history, while creating a city that reflects the spirit of living in right relations together on this land.”
OTHER REQUESTS RECEIVED
Confederation Park Community Association President Mark Mills also said the time has come for change.
“Macdonald will still be in the history books. But families who live in this neighbourhood should not have to suffer the hurt they feel as they walk or drive down this road every day.”
Other requests for John A. Macdonald Road to be renamed have been received by the City’s Naming Committee.
This proposed name change is the first in a process that is already underway. An interim report with a legacy review of names will be coming for Council consideration in September 2021.
“I will spend the next month engaging with the residents who live on this road in the hopes that we can all find a common understanding of that and to help them smoothly transition to a new, more meaningful address,” Kirton said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.