BUILDING BRIDGES
Shirley Isbister, of Central Urban Metis Federation, hugs Gilles Dorval, city director of Aboriginal relations, on Wednesday at an event to remind citizens that they have until Oct. 31 to suggest Indigenous names for the new North Commuter Parkway bridge.
For Harry Lafond, naming Saskatoon’s new north commuter bridge means a lot more than just applying a label to a piece of municipal infrastructure.
Lafond, a residential school survivor who serves as executive director of the Office of the Treaty Commissioner, was among the dignitaries who gathered Wednesday on a bluff overlooking the new bridge, which is still under construction.
The media event under a sunny sky was held to remind residents the City of Saskatoon is seeking suggestions for a bridge name to honour the legacy of Aboriginal peoples. Several First Nations elders attended.
“It’s all about telling the story,” Lafond said in an interview. “Residential schools were one of the deep, dark secrets of this country.”
One of the recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into residential schools proposes honouring Aboriginal people with prominent names in communities.
Saskatoon residents have until Oct. 31 to submit names; 94 submissions have been made so far. The committee considering the names will narrow the list to four once nominations close. Residents will then be invited to offer input on the final four names before one of them is selected. As with all municipal infrastructure, city council must give final approval.
Lafond said anyone who decides to submit a name will need to do some research, which will help educate them on Aboriginal history. Greater awareness will help fill in the gaps in the story of Canada, he said.
“The naming of the north commuter parkway bridge is really going to be the city’s answer to diversity,” said Shirley Isbister, president of the Central Urban Metis Federation. “We need to work together and we need to bridge our whole community together.”
Isbister and Mayor Charlie Clark stressed the process to name the bridge is not just for Aboriginal people. The entire community is encouraged to take part. People can visit the city’s website at Saskatoon.ca/namethencp to make a suggestion.
The city will hold several community engagement events to educate people about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action and to participate in the naming of the bridge. Events will include schools and the University of Saskatchewan.
“It’s a really exciting opportunity to give this bridge a name we can be proud of, and it goes beyond that,” Clark said.
The names submitted could also be used for other infrastructure in the city, he added, noting the names on streets and other civic infrastructure poorly reflect the true history of the Saskatoon region.
Clark gave credit to Coun. Darren Hill for putting forward the motion to name the new bridge to honour Aboriginal people. Potential names could honour a historical figure or event, or try to capture the spirit of the community.
The new bridge is part of one of the city’s largest and most expensive infrastructure projects, which includes connecting roadways and a new downtown Traffic Bridge.
Both bridges, which are being built as part of a combined publicprivate partnership (P3) project, are on track for completion in slightly more than a year.