A miss-step in renaming a street in Lunenberg, a small town on the southern shore of Nova Scotia may have taken a knock as it tries to improve its relationship with Mi’kmaw people.
“Very disappointed,” said Stephen Labrador who is from Wasaqopa’q – also known as Acadia First Nation. “From one colonial name to another colonial name.”
Lunenberg citizens voted last year to remove the name Cornwallis from its streets. The former British governor in Nova Scotia was known to have put a bounty on Mi’kmaw scalps during his reign from 1749–1752.
“I see the sign every day and it is a constant reminder of my ancestors and the struggles that they had back then,” said Labrador of the Cornwallis street sign.
Many would agree that changing the Cornwallis name is a positive sign, but the name the town chose is now in question.
The name change came around after the Anti-racism committee in town recommended remaining it.
But now Labrador, and the rest of the town, are looking at the prospect of walking, or driving down – Queen St., named in honour of Elizabeth who died in 2022.
“I think I’d like to give somebody the credit of the doubt, I don’t think there was a malicious effort and you have to consider our good Queen just recently passed,” said Roger Lewis, of the Sipekne’katik Mi’kmaw Nation, “I would think they were sincere, very likely.”
Not long after the name change was announced, Mayor Jaime Myra started receiving complaints.
So now the name change is on hold to give the community time to consult with the Mi’kmaw community.
“Quite honestly communication I’ve personally had with the Indigenous community has been positive,” Myra told APTN News. “They haven’t been near as negative or anti-Queen Street for example they are just happy we started the reconciliation process where they are very happy we’ve removed Cornwallis Street.”
Lunengberg is popular with tourists and Queen St. would have been a popular choice.
“Now in fairness, it was right around the time of Queen Elizabeth’s passing,” said Myra. “And Queen Elizabeth was a very well respected and the longest living Queen of our time and probably forever so she was very well-respected worldwide so I can see where that all came from at that time it was right around the same time that everybody was honoring Queen Elizabeth.”
Labrador said he has faith that Myra will consult with Mi’kmaw people.
“I’d be very very grateful if they changed it to a Mi’kmaw name,” he said.
A final street name will be determined after consultations wrap up.
