Future names of landmarks and locations in St. Albert could be more focused on topographical features, Indigenous traditional knowledge or generic names than in the past, if the naming policy passed at committee this week gets the stamp of approval from St. Albert council.
The long-awaited policy change for how St. Albert names and renames municipal assets, such as roads and neighbourhoods, would see commemorative names used sparingly.
The draft policy was presented to council's standing committee of the whole on May 9 for the second time since the project got underway last year.
In 2021, Coun. Natalie Joly first brought forward to council the idea to look into the city's municipal naming policy in the wake of national outcry after hundreds of unmarked graves of Indigenous children were found across the country at former-residential school locations.
The policy, when or if put in place, would establish a formal process to rename local assets, such as those associated with Vital-Justin Grandin, an Oblate priest who played a substantial role in creating the residential school system. In 2021, the Greater St. Albert Catholic School District renamed an elementary school to remove its association with Grandin.
The criteria for removing a name, the current draft says, includes names that refer to those known for discriminatory views and actions, such as acts of racism and violence; refers to people who negatively represent a group or culture; and is inconsistent with the city's diversity and inclusion declaration.
The municipal naming policy, as the title implies, would also provide a formal process and criteria for naming new localities.
According to the refined draft presented to council members, future names should be based on local topographical features; flora; fauna; Indigenous traditional knowledge and usage; relevant historical events; or generic names.
The criteria for commemorative names, which the policy suggests should be chosen sparingly, include individuals who have demonstrated dedication to community service; those who championed equality; those who risked their lives to protect others; those who achieve great feats; and those who represent a group largely underrepresented through existing commemorative names.
Equity deserving groups
Further amendments to the draft policy were put forward for debate on May 9, including an unsuccessful motion by Coun. Shelley Biermanski to remove all reference to "equity deserving groups" from the policy.
"By creating a definition for equity deserving we're also determining that all excluded from the definition are not deserving of equity," Biermanski said during the debate. "I see the definition as divisive and I also see it as an expression as mentioned rather than a definition."
"We need to have the intent of equity of all without definition of some."
Opposing Biermanski's motion was Mayor Cathy Heron, Coun. Wes Brodhead, Coun. Natalie Joly and Coun. Ken MacKay.
"Words are very important," MacKay said in response. "By making that shift in how we write our policies or what we put in our definitions, we've helped change how people think and act in our communities and how they are included in our communities."
"By including the term equity deserving, we are recognizing everyone's right to equitable treatment," he said. I just think it's very important that we actually have this included in our definitions."
Another unsuccessful motion put forward by Biermanski was to remove the phrase "acknowledge the impacts of colonialism" from the list of principles that should be followed when choosing commemorative names.
"I think it's better to clarify our actions rather than saying we're just going to acknowledge something," she said during the debate.
"It doesn't really say what we're going to do or how we're going to perceive it or who we're going to address, it's just a feel-good political statement is what it is."
Opposing Biermanski's motion again was Heron, Brodhead, Joly, and MacKay.
"I think it's important to acknowledge either here (or) everywhere else that it has impacted — St. Albert, Alberta, and Canada — it's part of our history, and we want to learn about the impacts as we go forward," Heron said.
A successful amendment was put forward by Coun. Mike Killick, although the motion was simply to add definitions for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The policy was approved, as amended, by the committee of the whole with Biermanski and Hughes opposed.
"My criticisms from every single (amendment) I've talked about is that we need to make this apolitical and we've still made it hyper-political," Hughes said. "We've just simply chosen which political statements we want to make."
"We are now deciding that the political stance of today is overriding the political stance of yesterday and assuming that it will actually move into tomorrow, and honestly, I disagree that that's probably going to happen."
Brodhead, in response, said it was incumbent on council to try and right the wrongs of the past.
"That's our duty today," he said. "I think we came up with a policy here that will service (St. Albert)."
"Will it stand for two millennium? Well, we'll see, but for today, I think this is a step forward."
The draft policy will now be presented at an upcoming regular council meeting for formal approval.
Racist remarks
Along with the draft renaming policy, the city released two What We Heard reports and the second included the racist and discriminatory input the project consultants, Eleven Eleven Consulting, received from the public.
The report, which is 45 pages long, contains verbatim comments and emails from residents littered with anti-Indigenous slurs, stereotypes, and misinformation, as well as residential school denialism and transphobia.
Many of the remarks in the report are also directed to city staff and council, both of which were referred to as "radical leftists"; "wokers"; "mentally damaged children"; and more.
The names of those whose comments are featured were withheld from the report, which can be accessed through the city's Cultivate the Conversation platform.
The committee did not discuss the report during the May 9 meeting, however in a May 8 news release, Heron said she was "sad, appalled, and extremely disappointed" to learn of the comments included in the report.
"These comments reflect the ignorant, bigoted and ill-informed views of a minority of survey respondents but reveal the uncomfortable truth that racism and intolerance exist in our community," Heron said.
"We need to acknowledge this reality and respond by stating very clearly that racism, harassment and discrimination are not welcome in St. Albert."
