Regina City Council set to revisit Dewdney Avenue name change recommendation

Regina City Council is expected to revisit the ongoing debate around renaming Dewdney Avenue at its meeting on Wednesday afternoon.

According to an agenda for the meeting posted online, council will revisit a motion first put forward by Coun. Andrew Stevens and Coun. Dan LeBlanc that was tabled on June 26.

“Approve Dewdney Avenue to be renamed as soon as practicable,” the first recommendation from the motion on the agenda reads.

A second recommendation is that council directs administration to consult with relevant stakeholders and the Civic Naming Committee to propose a replacement name to city council as soon as viable.

“And in any event by Q1 (quarter 1) of 2025,” the recommendation goes on to say.

During an interview with CTV Morning Live in May, Regina Mayor Sandra Masters said she understands the controversy surrounding the name of the famous street named after Edgar Dewdney, but said that all aspects of dropping the name Dewdney Avenue need to be looked into.

“There’s 2,500 businesses and residences along Dewdney Avenue and I understand the difficulty with the name. This is not new information, we knew there was several hundred signatures on a petition a few years ago,” Masters said.

Masters also estimated that the cost of removing and replacing signage could cost into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“It’s not just about that though, it’s about every resident having to change their addresses on their utility bills, on every credit card statement and so really community consultation will inform back as well as the investigation into what is the actual cost,” Masters said in May.

Edgar Dewdney was born in 1835 in England and died in 1916. He held many political positions in Canada after arriving in the country in 1859.

In 1881, Dewdney was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of the NWT, a position he held in conjunction with that of Indian commissioner. One of his first significant acts in this role was the selection of Regina (Wascana) as the new territorial capital in 1882, according to the University of Saskatchewan.

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Dewdney’s use of withholding rations as a device to impose state authority on First Nations is often cited when discussing his controversial status among Canada’s Indigenous population.

The threat of hunger compelled Indigenous peoples to settle on reserves, adopt agriculture and send their children to mission schools.

One of those who has long called for the road to be renamed is Joely BigEagle-Kequahtooway.

She first began her calls to rename the street in 2019 when the City reached out to her regarding what could be done to follow through on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action.

“It seems to be the heart. Is Dewdney a good representation of the heart of Regina, she questioned in May.

In 2021, council removed the Dewdney name from the now Buffalo Meadows Park and Buffalo Meadows Pool.

BigEagle-Kequahtooway called it a token gesture.

--More to come…

--With files from Donovan Maess…