Final four names for new bridge revealed Tuesday

Saskatoon residents will find out Tuesday the four nominees for the name of the city’s new north commuter bridge.

The City of Saskatoon asked people to submit names that honour the legacy of Indigenous peoples as part of the city ’s response to the federal Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

The commission was established to try to address the harmful effects of residential schools and made many recommendations, including finding ways to pay tribute to Indigenous history.

The city asked residents to submit suggestions for the new bridge, which is being built along with the downtown Traffic Bridge. Both are expected to open in October, which will bring the number of bridges for motor vehicles in Saskatoon to seven.

The city received 461 submissions to name the new bridge and has created video vignettes to explain the significance of the four finalists.

The videos will debut at a special event for media and invited guests at the Roxy Theatre on Tuesday afternoon. The videos are expected to be posted on the city’s website on Tuesday.

The city is also planning a series of events to gather public feedback on the four names in March before the final name is selected.

City council approved the idea of naming the north bridge in July 2016 as part of city hall’s efforts to comply with recommendations from the commission. Coun. Darren Hill first proposed the idea.

Council has also approved naming part of Victoria Park as Reconciliation Circle. A sculpture honouring the history of Metis and First Nations people in the region is expected to be erected in the park this spring.

The group tasked with shortlisting the names for the north bridge also endorsed a request to name the rebuilt Traffic Bridge the TRC Bridge after the commission. That request came from students at Lawson Heights School and the Central Urban Metis Federation Inc.

Councillors and the mayor voted 9-1 at last week’s governance and priorities committee meeting to keep the name Traffic Bridge on the new structure, but council will make a final decision at today’s meeting.