Renaming Request Fails to Cross the Bridge

Lakota women being fed in Moose Jaw in 1885 - photo courtesy Provincial Archives

Should a bridge, admittedly in bad shape and possibly slated for demolition, be renamed in recognition of a people or is it just too much of a span to make came up for discussion at Council on Monday night.

In their regular presentation to Council the Heritage Advisory Committee asked Council to rename the 7th Ave SW Bridge the Lakota Bridge in recognition of the First Nation’s involvement in the Wakamow Valley and the region.

The Lakota Sioiux are a first nation which inhabited southern areas of the province but were denied access to the original treaty process in the 1870’s because the government of the day saw them as refugees from the US and did not wish to sign a deal with the descendants of Chief Sitting Bull.

Speaking before Council, Scott Hellings chair of the Heritage Advisory Committee, said the committee had decided it would be appropriate to name the bridge after the Lakota people as they were the only First Nations group without a bridge on the southern side of Moose Jaw not named after them.

“It’s the only bridge in the area without a name. All of the other bridges are named after aboriginal people who inhabited the area,” Hellings said.

“There is no bridge named after the Lakota people so we felt this was (appropriate),” he said, adding he was “not sure of any bridge naming policy in the City but I am certainly willing for some feedback and discussion to get the ball rolling.”

Councillor Heather Eby said she felt it was inappropriate to rename the bridge the Lakota Bridge because of the condition of the bridge itself.

“It is a defunct bridge. It has unofficially become a pedestrian bridge. It doesn’t look that great and there is pretty awful graffiti all over it. I am just wondering is that an honour to the Lakota name? A bridge that is not functional for what it was meant to be and probably won’t be functional for a very long time. Just as long as it is not going to look like something as dishonouring as opposed to honouring,” Councillor Eby said.

Councillor Dawn Luhning said if the bridge was renamed it should g through a proper process.

“I want to comment about the renaming issue. I am aware there are some parks in the city that have been requested that they be renamed and it is quite the process to go through. And I believe the same type of process should happen for this,” Councillor Luhning said.

Speaking in defense of the re-naming Councillor Crystal Froese - who is Council’s representative on the Heritage Advisory Committee - said “it’s the last bridge on the south side of town that hasn’t been recognized with a name that represents First Nation’s heritage.”

Councillor Scott McMann asked if the Wakamow Valley Authority had been contacted about the proposed name change to which Councillor Froese said they had not.

“No just the Heritage Advisory Committee. The bridge is City property and it is owned by the City,” Councillor Froese stated, adding Administration had been contacted and there is a parks’ naming policy bit there is no bridge naming policy.

“So the (Heritage) Advisory Committee thought the Lakota being the only local tribes not recognized on the south of town it kind of made sense,” she stated.

It should be noted in the previous Council, then Councillor Patrick Boyle proposed a policy whereby City owned structures, such as bridges, could be named for a fee if someone was interested in purchasing the rights. Any funds generated would go to infrastructure renewal.

Councillor Luhning disagreed that there needed to be a more formal naming process.

“I think there is a little bit more information Council requires than to just go naming bridges around the city…other City facilities that have requested they be named and they have gone to a specific committee to look at whether that is appropriate or not, Councillor Luhning said, adding “committees cannot just say things can be renamed without proving some research has been done.”

Councillor Brian Swanson said he respected committees bringing issues to Council as that is what they were set up for. He pointed out everything in Wakamow is owned by the City of Moose Jaw, that it was not appropriate to name something broken down and there is “a process we go through in renaming things.”

Councillor Eby agreed stating “I don’t think it is appropriate to put anyone’s name on something that is in a state of disrepair even though it is functional.”

In a 6 - 1 vote, with Councillor Froese voting in favour, the renaming request was turned doen.