Council mulls new honour for Sgt. Tommy Prince; proposal to move archives moves forward

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This article was published 09/11/2021 (1143 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Council mulls new honour for Sgt. Tommy Prince

A new historical marker may be on the way to honour Sgt. Tommy Prince in Winnipeg.

City council is being asked to approve permanent interpretive panels to acknowledge Prince’s contributions at Sergeant Tommy Prince Place, a leisure facility at 90 Sinclair St.

The recommendation is part of the city’s Welcoming Winnipeg: Reconciling our History process, which aims to ensure Indigenous histories and stories are commemorated.

Prince is one of Canada’s most-decorated Indigenous soldiers and received both the Military Medal and Silver Star, according to Veterans Affairs Canada.

The Lord Selkirk-West Kildonan land dedication reserve will provide $25,000 to fund the project.

Proposal to move archives moves forward

A $12.7-million plan to move the City of Winnipeg’s archives back to the Carnegie Library will be considered during the 2023 budget process.

If the funding is then approved, the irreplaceable photos and documents could finally gain a permanent home at the vacant heritage building at 380 William Ave.

The Carnegie Library had housed the archives until it was badly damaged by flooding in 2013, which forced the temporary move to a leased warehouse at 50 Myrtle St.

On Wednesday, the property and development committee unanimously supported the recommendation to refer the matter for 2023 budget consideration. The committee also ordered a report on how best to ensure Indigenous records are protected and honoured, as part of the city’s reconciliation process.