Regina mayor says renaming Dewdney Avenue could cost 'hundreds of thousands'
The cost of changing all the signage of Dewdney Avenue – should the famous Regina street be renamed one day – could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to Mayor Sandra Masters.
On Wednesday Coun. Andrew Stevens and Coun. Dan LeBlanc brought forward a joint motion to city council calling for the road to be renamed as soon as possible.
The two councillors say the road, named after Edgar Dewdney, honours a person that is a historical figure, “who was directly responsible for the development and administration of harmful policies towards Indigenous Peoples, including establishing and providing oversight for residential schools.”
Masters said she understands the controversy surrounding the name but said when council debates the motion in a few weeks’ time all aspects of the issue will have to be discussed.
“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.
“Really that’s what council is going to have to debate and determine whether or not they want to investigate that at this time,” she added.
According to Masters, the price to change the name of Dewdney Avenue could range from hundreds of thousands of dollars to “not that much.”
“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.
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. (opens in a new tab).
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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Global study ranks two Canadian cities high on list of most expensive places to buy a home
As Canadians continue to struggle with the extremely high cost of buying a home in some of the country’s major urban centres, a new global report is underscoring just how expensive some of those markets are.
Prince William shares childhood photo of him and King Charles III for Father's Day
Prince William on Sunday shared a photograph showing him as a child with his father, King Charles III, to mark Father’s Day in the United Kingdom this year.
Maine police kill armed man after a night of gunfire and burned homes
A Maine State Police tactical team fatally shot a man on a rooftop early Saturday after an hourslong standoff in which authorities said he opened fire at officers, two homes burned down and a person who fought with him apparently died.
A new tax filing system could give Canadians more than $1 billion in unclaimed benefits: PBO
Canadians would get more than $1 billion in unclaimed benefits each year through an automatic tax filing system, according to a report published by the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO).
Ottawa Food Bank receives largest donation in its 40-year history
210,000 pounds of food was delivered to the Ottawa Food Bank on Saturday, the largest donation in its 40-year history.
Halifax chef speaks about traumatic brain injury
Halifax chef Lauren Marshall was working in the Bahamas on a special event in February when she fainted and fell from a golf cart, hitting the back of her head.
Your father’s diet before you were born could have affected your health, a new study suggests
Your father's diet before you were born could have played a role in your health, a new study has found.
Clooney and Roberts help Biden raise US$30 million-plus at a star-studded Hollywood gala
Some of Hollywood's brightest stars headlined a fundraiser for U.S. President Joe Biden that took in a record US$30 million-plus for a Democratic candidate, according to his campaign, in hopes of energizing would-be supporters for a White House contest they said may rank among the most consequential in U.S. history.
East Coast authorities working on warning signs for great white sharks
There's growing evidence that the number of great white sharks is on the rise along Canada's East Coast, where plans are in the works to post warning signs for beachgoers for the first time.