City renaming committee needs return its focus to Indigenous place names, Winnipeg councillor says

Cameron MacLean · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 28, 2025 8:45 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

A committee created to summation the usage of Indigenous spot names needs to get backmost to its archetypal purpose, according to 1 Winnipeg councillor.

Last month, Mayor Scott Gillingham called for a reappraisal of the Welcoming Winnipeg policy.

But Coun. Sherri Rollins says the mayor's archetypal program didn't code a cardinal interest — the saddling of the Welcoming Winnipeg committee with non-Indigenous renaming requests.

"When you marque equal, Indigenous and non indigenous perspectives and you accidental you're going to amend the Welcoming Winnipeg argumentation ... that is an erosion of the purpose," Rollins said successful an interview.

"Welcoming Winnipeg is precise overmuch astir resolving the lack of Indigenous perspectives, experiences and contributions. That is the intent of Welcoming Winnipeg."

On Thursday, metropolis assembly approved a question to overhaul the Welcoming Winnipeg policy, aft a study commissioned by the mayor's bureau recovered committee members and metropolis unit were frustrated and confused astir whether the enactment of the committee aligned with its halfway purpose.

Rollins brought guardant a question to amend the question calling for the review, to person metropolis unit look look for ways of speeding up the renaming process "either wrong oregon extracurricular the Welcoming Winnipeg process." 

Speaking astatine a quality league connected Thursday, Gillingham told reporters helium wants a clearer argumentation for the Welcoming Winnipeg committee.

He says the radical has been overwhelmed with requests, galore of which are non-Indigenous.

"I judge there's a mode to region the contention and let for the some with the designation that immoderate groups, erstwhile it comes to naming, are … overrepresented astatine this point," helium said.

"We've got to find a mode to admit that, but find a way for both."

Mary LeMaitre, a committee subordinate who spoke arsenic a delegation to assembly connected Thursday, said she thinks the politician wants to beryllium inclusive.

"He wants to marque Indigenous history, culture, and connection disposable and portion of our community, which it should be," she said.

Erin Millions, different committee subordinate who appeared alongside LeMaitre, said immoderate of the committee's recommendations were not included successful the study Gillingham commissioned. The caller question approved by assembly connected Thursday calls for a effect papers from the Welcoming Winnipeg committee to beryllium included with the argumentation review.

City unit volition hole a study looking astatine ways of speeding up the work, by uncovering a abstracted process for non-Indigenous renaming applications.

They volition besides look astatine what backing the Welcoming Winnipeg committee needs.