P.E.I. park to be named in honour of Mi’kmaw runner

Michael Thomas was one of the best long distance runners of his era.

In 1911, he was the first Prince Edward Islander to ever run the Boston Marathon. He finished 26th that year.

His great granddaughter Rebecca Thomas follows in his footsteps with a major first of her own. She served as the first Mi’kmaw poet laureate for Nova Scotia.

An avid runner herself, she’s attended Stratford, P.E.I.’s annual Michael Thomas race.

“To be able to run by his statue that was a pretty cool experience for me,” said Thomas. “I think that being able to do anything generationally and knowing that you come from a lineage like that does feel good — instills a sense of pride.”

Thomas never met her great-grandfather, who died in 1954, but her father told her stories about him.

“From the stories that my dad told, and tells about him, as sparse as they may be, they were always very kind stories,” said Thomas. “I hope that I can embody that same kind of kindness and generosity.”

Thomas says it’s important to honour Mi’kmaq people from our history, but says she feels this should be just one step.

“You just can’t stop at that point and say, ‘OK, well that’s a part of reconciliation,’” said Thomas. “There’s more work to be done than simply naming something after someone.”

The park will go in on the Stratford waterfront, just a short distance from where a statue of Micheal Thomas stands now.

“He grew up not far from here. His house stood somewhere between where we are now and the highway over there,” said Steve Ogden, mayor of Stratford, standing near the statue. “We’re not sure exactly where, but we know that this is the area that he was born and he lived in for a number of years.”

Ogden says Michael Thomas' contribution is an important part of island history.

“We want to honour him, and we want to honour his family, and the Mi’kmaq people by putting the waterfront park and naming it after him,” said Ogden. “Because it is a very big part of our history, and something that we can all be very proud of.”

Once complete, the park will be a reminder of the accomplishment of a trailblazing Mi’kmaw athlete and his legacy in island sport.