Gimli will pull 'colonization' from the names of 4 streets to honour reconciliation

The rural municipalityofGimli is planning to strip the namesof four streets that commemorate the history of colonialism.

Coun. Cody Magnussonbrought forward a resolution last week that stated the four roadways containing the word "colonization"aredeeply offensive to Indigenous peoplesand called fortheir renaming.

"I basically said, like, 'We're not waiting anymore.' We're putting this on the next meeting's [agenda]. Let's do this."

His resolutionemerged as 1,000 people and counting signed a petition to demandaction from the RMof Gimli.

The councillor said that municipal officials andprivate citizenshad bothpressed for change in previous years, but it was "tossed on the back burner for one reason or the other."

Magnusson knew the municipal administration was studying the issue. But, he said, last month'sdiscovery of a burial site adjacent to the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, whichpreliminary findings indicate contain the remains of 215 children, prompted a faster response.

Kamloopstragedy pushed for change locally

"That was certainly kind of a turning point for a lot of these things, not only in our municipality, but across the country to really move forward more of these ideas and actions of reconciliation," Magnusson said.

The RM of Gimli's council voted last week to establish a reconciliation committee, with a mixture of Indigenous and non-Indigenous voices, to explore ways to advance the calls of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Their first order of business is to propose new names for the four roads North Colonization Road, South Colonization Road, Colonization Close and Colonization Road Arnesthat will instead honour local Indigenous history and the culture and spirit of reconciliation. The proposed renaming will bepresented to councilfor their endorsement.

Three of the four roads are in the town of Gimli, and the other is east of Arnes.

Afterwards, the committee will continue to advise the municipalityon matters of reconciliation.

Cameron Adams, a member of Berens River First Nation with family ties to Norway House Cree Nation, saidhe has been asked to sit on the committee.

Adams,who has lived in Gimli for most of his life,said Indigenous people had their cultures oppressed through the process of colonization. He said the word cuts deep, and it shouldn'tbe celebrated.

"We could have any other name in the world, but why would we honour colonization?" he asks.

In recent days, the university student, who is studying education, has spoken with an Indigenous elderwho suggested the legacy of John Ramsay could be celebrated.

An Indigenous hunter and fisher, he taught the Icelandic settlers who arrived in the 1870s inwhat is now Gimlihow to hunt and fish, supplying some with moose meat and fish. People say he helped save dozens ofpeople from dying during those first few winters.

"It's a story of our past, but also something that connected newcomers and Indigenous peoples," Adams said.

"John Ramsay was well-respected and continues to be. That'swaybetter than colonization."

DespiteMagnussonstating thatsome residents have questioned the purpose of the name change, he said he's proud the vast majority of residents in Gimliare on board.

"I think it reflects well on our town that the overwhelming amount of people are in favour of doing these actions."

The RM of St. Clementsis in the midst of renaming its own Colonization Road, located in Libau, Man. Council iscurrently evaluating prospective names and a decision is expected in a few weeks.