Demand for changes to Indigenous-affecting place names overwhelming

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This article was published 13/11/2022 (775 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A surge in demand is delaying the city’s handling of renaming requests for places and historical markers that negatively affect the Indigenous community.

Under the Welcoming Winnipeg: Reconciling our History policy, a committee made up of volunteer community members assesses naming and renaming requests for monuments, parks, buildings and trails, then makes recommendations to city council.

“Due to a high volume of requests submitted to Welcoming Winnipeg, our response times are currently delayed,” the program page on the city’s website notes.

In an emailed statement, the city did not directly answer questions about how many requests the committee received, how long of a delay residents should expect or when the backlog began, referring those questions to a future report.

“(The Indigenous relations division) will be presenting its annual report to council in the coming months on the progress of Welcoming Winnipeg policy implementation, which will include an update on the requests received and completed since 2020. The report will include an updated figure on requests received with outstanding actions,” said spokesman Kalen Qually.

Each naming request can include multiple action items, some of which require work even after council casts a final vote on a matter, Qually noted.

A request to speak with someone from the committee or the city’s Indigenous relations division about the backlog was not granted Monday.

In April, council voted to consider possible funding to support the policy and the committee’s work during the 2024-2027 multi-year budget, Qually said.

The city should explore a budget for the committee due to the extensive public consultations its members must complete, Coun. Sherri Rollins said.

“Sometimes folks feel that it is something you can snap your fingers and the welcoming committee will (immediately see what) can be done but it’s not,” said Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry).

“There’s actually been quite a few examples of very deep community work that they’ve been engaged in. They’re a volunteer board… they have been doing excellent work for the city but their work isn’t easy, it is time-consuming and there is (growing) demand.”

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga