Winnipeg street named after residential school architect an opportunity to educate public, councillor says

Winnipeg city councilhas heard arequestto strip Bishop GrandinBoulevard of its name because the busy street is named after an architect of residential schools.

Residents have expressed concernsabout placesnamed after BishopVital-JustinGrandin, whichinclude the south Winnipeg artery, BishopGrandinGreenwayand the St. Vital community,according to a briefing note prepared this April by the city's archives department.

The writers didnot make a recommendation, but provided context toGrandin's complicated history.

While Grandinwas a celebrated Roman Catholic priest and bishop who advocated on behalf of Mtisrights, he also believed First Nations people needed to be "civilized" andviewed residential schools as theway to accomplish this.

Grandinlobbied the federal government to fund the construction of these schools, nowlikened tocultural genocide for the way children were stripped from their families and of theiridentities.

His involvement was cited in the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, which concluded Grandin"led the campaign for residential schooling."

The debate over naming statutes and streets after controversial figures has been heightened sinceVictoria removed a statuelast weekend of Canada'sfirst prime minister, John A. Macdonald. The monument was ejectedas a gesture of reconciliation since Macdonald helpedestablishthe residential school system.

Education tool

Grandin's failings should be taught to city residents, rather than brushed away by renaming the street, area councillor Brian Mayes says.

"I think you don'ttry to erase the history, you try to learn from it."

The St. Vital councillorwould prefer public art or some plaque beside the existing monument to presenta thoroughaccount of Grandin's involvement in building residential schools.

He wants any idea considered by city council to be supported bythe Indigenous community.

"I may be outvoted, other councillors may want to rename the street, but that's my preferred approach," he said.

Kelly Dale Edwards, an entrepreneurand blogger,has researchedGrandin'slegacy for his site.

Wehave neighbourhoods named after him. We have malls, we have parks.- Kelly Dale Edwards

The Ojibwe from SagkeengFirst Nation learned about the former bishop a year ago when a quote from the historical figurecirculated onFacebook. He was surprised how few Winnipeggersknew Grandinwas one of the biggest, if not the first, lobbyist of the nowcondemned schooling system.

"Wehave neighbourhoods named after him. We have malls, we have parks," he said.

"Everyone believes that Bishop Grandin was this really holy person, and that he should be honoured, but at the same time 20,000 Indigenous children lost their lives in residential schools."

Edwards is unsure if renaming these places is the correct response, but says further education about Grandin'starnished legacy is a must.

Mural controversy

Elsewhere, Edmonton endured a public outcry in 2011 over a mural honouring Grandin. The paintingdepictedGrandin standing, while a nun held an Indigenous child in her arms.

The City of Edmonton formed a working group with community members and decided to providecompanion images on both sides of the original rather than covering up the controversial mural.

According to the TRC report, Grandinchampioned the idea of boarding schools because he believed it was essential to remove First Nations children from their families. Otherwise, he claimed, the race faced extinction because he was doubtfuladult hunters and trapperscould become farmers.

Grandindied in 1902 in St. Albert, Alta.

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