More than a year later, the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway's name remains unchanged

It's been more than a year since Ottawa city councillors and residentsasked the federal government to rename the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway and one Indigenous elder says the lack of progress is "upsetting" and "ludicrous."

Calls to remove the name of Canada's first prime minister from the parkway are renewing this month as people plan to march along the road in protest,but also in remembrance of children who died while being forced toattendCanada's residential school system.

"There's been no progress. Zero," said Albert Dumont,an Algonquin Anishinbe spiritual adviser from Kitigan Zibi Anishinbeg near Maniwaki, Que., whocalled on the federal government to rename the parkway in June 2021due toMacdonald's role in centralizing and expanding the residential school system.

"It's very upsetting."

The parkway is managed by theNational Capital Commission (NCC), a Crown corporation that manages many roads, paths, parks and other spaces in Ottawa and Gatineau, Que.

It's a four-lane road stretchingwest from Ottawa's downtown along theOttawa River shorelineformerly calledthe Ottawa River Parkway before it wasrenamed after Macdonaldin 2012.

"Macdonald was a hollow-hearted, cold-blooded politician. He really put it into high gear to erase a segment of this country's population forever," said Dumont.

Dumont saidhe spoke to an NCC staff member last week, who advised him that the process is "complicated."

The NCC declined an interview, but in an emailed statement said its work "on a proposed review of the name of the SJAM Parkway is ongoing." A spokesperson said the NCC updated its toponymy policyand will include Indigenous perspectives in its framework to reflect diversity in the region.

In an email obtained by CBC to another concerned Indigenous resident earlier this summer, the NCC said it will eventually consult the public on the request to rename the parkway.

"An action plan was created to guide the work of the team and outlines an approach for public consultation and Indigenous engagement," that email from anNCC manager reads.

Dumont said he doesn't see the need for "a longdrawn-out process" full of consultations and action plans on whether or not to rename the parkway.

"It's kind of ludicrous that they'd even say these things," Dumont said."Itjust goes to show whatwhite supremacy is They obviously believe that John A. Macdonald's decision to perpetrate genocide was a good one, and they're OK with him with his name being there."

Dumont isplanning to walkalong the parkwayon the morning of Sept. 30, which is the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, from the Canadian War Museum to Parkdale Avenue. Hehopesabout 200 residential school survivors and their families will be joining him.

Monique Manatch, a knowledge keeper fromthe Algonquins of Barriere Lake, will walk with Dumont and saidrenaming the parkway is "vital."

"Macdonald should not be celebrated. Not when he was the architect of cultural genocide," Manatch said. "I would like to see them move more quickly on changing the name."

Pamela Naymarkalso plans on attending the walk, and saidrenaming the parkway is "such an easy act of reconciliation."

"We can do better," she said. "We can send a message as Canadians that we don't honour this man It's not about guilt or blame."

WATCH | Prof explains movement to detach from some historical figures:

Many want to look to the future by renaming the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway, professor says

2 years ago

Duration 1:22

Veldon Coburn, who teaches Indigenous studies at the University of Ottawa, says people are reconsidering which historical figures truly represent Canada, leading to the renaming of buildings and roadways.

Veldon Coburn, who teaches Indigenous studies at the University of Ottawa, saidthere's been "a lot of inwards navel-gazing"about Canada's colonial past recently, and many are finding that Macdonald is "probably not the best figure to represent their ideals and visionfor Canada."

In recent years,statues of Macdonald have been removed from parksand city centres, and several schools across the country have decided to, or are looking at, removing Macdonald's name from their institutions.

"I think it's time,"said Coburn,a member of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation in Golden Lake, about the Ottawa parkway's name change.

Chief urges NCC to make public commitment

Kitigan Zibi Anishinbeg Chief Dylan Whiteduck told CBCthat people from his communityandPikwkanagnare scheduled to meet with NCC this week to discuss this request.

He hopes this will be the first of many meetings involving both nations.

"[Our] people have historically gathered along those borders of the [parkway]," he said. "That's why we have to be part of these discussions."

Whiteduck saidNCC should make a public commitment to changeSir John A. Macdonald Parkway's nameand post it on their website.

"We still firmly believe that the name should be re-changed," he said, adding that he's written an official letter to theNCC in the past and didn't get a "favourable" response at the time.

March will happen despite NCC's pushback: elder

Dumont suggests naming the road Kichi Zibi Parkway, theAnishinbe name forthe Ottawa River.

He said the peaceful march on Sept. 30 is to pressure the NCC to act quickly on renaming the parkway, but more importantly, in memory of children who suffered and died in residential schools.

Dumont shared an email from the NCCin early Septemberstating that his group should not proceed with the march.

The NCCoperations co-ordinatorcites "logistical and health andsafety reasons" for why it can't approve the group's walk along the parkwaydue to another large-scale event taking place on LeBreton Flatsnext to the portion of the parkway Dumont plans to walkon.

The staff member offered to discuss alternative dates for the walk.

"The NCCis not going to stop us," Dumont said, calling its position disrespectful. Heplans on doing a walk along the parkway on Sept. 30 every year until it's renamed.

"I'm 72 years old, and if I live to be 172, I'm going to do it every year."