Councillors call for name change on new section of Bishop Grandin

A former Manitoba premier could become the namesake for a newly constructed section of the former Bishop Grandin Boulevard.

In March, City Council officially changed the name of Bishop Grandin Boulevard to Abinojii Mikanah, which translates to Children's Road in Ojibway and Cree. This came after the city 're-evaluated' the road's original namesake – Justin Grandin, a Roman Catholic priest and bishop who was considered one of the architects of the residential school system.

Now two councillors want to see a new section of the road renamed again.

The section of the road in question is a newly constructed portion that stretches east beyond Lagimodiere Boulevard. In a motion, Councillors Russ Wyatt (Transcona) and Ross Eadie (Mynarski) say this stretch of road was wrongly named Bishop Grandin Boulevard.

They want its name changed to Edward Schreyer Parkway South.

The motion says Edward Schreyer served as Manitoba's first NDP Premier, first elected in 1969, and went on to serve as the Governor General of Canada and the High Commissioner to Australia.

"In the capacity of Premier of Manitoba, the Right Hon. Edward Schreyer was the first Premier to have regular meetings with the leaders of Manitoba’s Indigenous community, with what was then called the Manitoba Indian Brotherhood, later to become the Manitoba Assembly of First Nations," the motion reads.

The motion notes Schreyer's work to support First Nations in Manitoba, including establishing ice roads and airstrip runways into the north, and training teacher aides to facilitate training in Cree and Ojibwa.

The councillors say in the motion this name change will, "rightly honour a Manitoban who has done so much for Manitoba, Canada, and the Indigenous community."

The motion is set to be discussed at the upcoming Executive Policy Committee meeting on Oct. 17.