Manitoba makes progress toward monument honouring historic First Nations leader
The Manitoba legislature is one step closer to having its first monument honouring the contributions of First Nations people on the grounds of the historic building.
A committee set up to plan a statue of Chief Peguis announced Tuesday that it has narrowed its selection down to two bidders, who will be asked to submit designs.
"The Chief Peguis monument will be a historic and symbolic addition to our legislative building grounds," Government Services Minister James Teitsma said.
"It's our hope that it promotes reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Manitobans."
The scenic grounds already feature statues honouring a variety of people, including a Scottish settler, a Ukrainian poet and Metis leader Louis Riel.
In 1817, Chief Peguis and four other chiefs signed the first treaty in what is now Manitoba. Peguis helped early Scottish settlers survive the harsh climate and the treaty was aimed at ensuring peaceful coexistence.
In 2017, a volunteer committee made plans for a monument to honour Peguis on the legislature grounds. With a $500,000 commitment from the provincial government, the group later sought out potential bidders to build the statue.
The committee said Tuesday that the two bidders left in the selection process are Indigenous. One is located in Manitoba.
They are now being asked to submit design proposals with the aim to have the monument in place just west of the main entrance to the grounds by the fall of next year.
Chief Glen Hudson of the Peguis First Nation, a community north of Winnipeg named after Peguis, said the planned monument is fitting.
"Without Chief Peguis' involvement in history, history could have been very different," Hudson said.
"I don't think the Scottish settlement would have survived without Peguis. And if you look at Manitoba, Winnipeg and the entire region, there's a lot of Scottish people throughout this area."
While the final design of the monument has not been worked out, the general idea is to have a statue of Peguis representing himself and the four other chiefs who signed the treaty. There are no known drawings or photos of Peguis during his lifetime.
"There's no physical image available of Chief Peguis," committee co-chair Bill Shead said.
"What we will see is a First Nations person in the accoutrements of an Anishinaabe chief … and on the plinth will probably be more information about the treaty itself, the spirit of the treaty, the five chiefs and the fact that this is representing all First Nations."
Chief Peguis has been honoured in other areas of Winnipeg, including a monument in a park near the northern edge of the city.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 7, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
4th Indian national arrested, charged with murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Homicide investigators in B.C. say murder charges have been laid against a fourth Indian national in connection to the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Surrey gurdwara last year.
Feds 'committed to doing more,' but minister offers no timeline for Canadian Disability Benefit boost
Amid significant criticism from advocates, Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities Minister Kamal Khera is defending her government's long-promised, newly unveiled Canada Disability Benefit, calling the funds an "initial step," but without laying out a timeline for future expansion of the program.
RCMP boss expresses desire for new law to deal with threats against politicians
RCMP commissioner Mike Duheme says he wants the government to look at drafting a new law that would make it easier for police to pursue charges against people who threaten elected officials.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Balancing act: Canadian North’s first Inuk CEO juggles Arctic airline challenges
With carriers' flight volumes above the 60th parallel hovering below pre-pandemic levels, Canadian North’s first Inuk CEO now bears the task of balancing those financial and logistical challenges with the needs of communities for which she feels a deep affinity.
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
In progressive Argentina, the 2SLGBTQ+ community says President Milei has turned back the clock
Past left-leaning presidents who enacted some of the most socially liberal policies on the continent have given way to a self-proclaimed "anarcho-capitalist" whose fiery appraisals of social justice and efforts to dismantle diversity and equity programs have made him into a global far-right icon.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
'Renaissance of cartooning': Lifelong comic lover sets up Newfoundland dedicated publisher
A Newfoundlander's lifelong love of cartooning has helped forge Heavy Sweater Comics, the province's newest dedicated comic book publisher.