Saint John, N.B., city council scraps 'offensive' Indiantown neighbourhood name
An "outdated and offensive" name for a north-end neighbourhood in Saint John, N.B., will soon be replaced following a vote Monday night by city council.
The newly elected council voted unanimously to change the name of the neighbourhood formerly known as Indiantown. The move came after council for the first time began its meeting with a land acknowledgment.
"Last night was a historic night for Saint John to begin with," Mayor Donna Reardon said in an interview Tuesday.
She said renaming the neighbourhood is important because the previous language is no longer appropriate. "It's not how the Indigenous community would identify themselves," she said.
The densely packed neighbourhood is in one of the oldest parts of the city, bordered by the Saint John River and Shamrock Park. It's a significant area for the city's Indigenous populations, as it was once an important portage route and a place of commerce, Reardon said. The city plans to consult with Indigenous groups and leaders on a new name for the area.
"You want to capture the history and you want do it respectfully," she said.
The move to rename the neighbourhood was recommended in a report to council outlining the history of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and its calls to action aimed at municipal and local governments. It says the name was raised as an issue during consultations with Indigenous groups.
"The terminology is outdated and offensive," the report says, urging the city to stop using it in its records and communications.
The report says the neighbourhood was named for a trading house built in 1779, which a century later had steamer wharfs, several large sawmills and a population of 1,500.
The Indiantown name can still be found in Google Maps, the Canadian Geographical Names Database and a Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation information portal, and the report recommends the city manager take steps to have the name removed from those sources as soon as possible.
Reardon said she has been told the Google Maps change "can happen relatively quickly."
By contrast, the discussions about a new name will likely take a while, because the city is aiming to be careful and thoughtful, she said. In the meantime, people might keep using the old name, Reardon said, but she noted that in her experience, it's not the most common name for the area. "Most people refer to that area as 'the old North End,"' she said.
Monday's council meeting was the first to be held since provincewide municipal elections took place in May.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 15, 2021.
-- By Sarah Smellie in St. John's, N.L.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada Disability Benefit needs to be safeguarded from clawbacks, MPs unanimously agree
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
Security guard shot, seriously injured outside of Drake's Toronto mansion
A security guard working at Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto was seriously injured in a shooting outside the residence early Tuesday morning, police said.
King Charles too busy to see son Prince Harry during U.K. trip
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Turfing Poilievre from House a clear sign of desperation by Trudeau Liberals
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
Six Canadian children repatriated from detention in Syria, Global Affairs Canada says
The Global Affairs Department says six Canadian children have been repatriated from detention in northeastern Syria.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
TikTok, ByteDance sue to block U.S. law seeking sale or ban of app
TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance said on Tuesday they filed suit in U.S. federal court seeking to block a law signed by President Joe Biden that would force the divestiture of the short video app used by 170 million Americans or ban its use.