The historic Colonial Building in St. John's was once home to the legislature. Photo: APTN News file
The Newfoundland and Labrador government is considering renaming the historic Colonial Building in downtown St. John’s.
A Nov. 17, 2021 information note from the provincial Tourism Department first obtained by CBC News discusses “the need and process” to rename the government building.
The note says a new name for the building is recommended in light of the provincial government’s reconciliation efforts with the province’s Indigenous groups.
Chief Mi’sel Joe of the Miawpukek First Nation agrees the building’s link to colonialism should end and says the effort affords the province a chance to revisit Newfoundland and Labrador’s entry into Canada in 1949.
Joe said in a recent interview the province still has to atone for omitting the province’s Indigenous groups from its terms of union with Canada, thus denying them access to federal services and programs for decades.
Premier Andrew Furey told reporters he welcomes the discussion, adding that ongoing Colonial Building renovations include plans for a special room showcasing the history of Indigenous people in the province.
According to Wikipedia, the building was the home of the colonial and later provincial Newfoundland government and the House of Assembly from January 28, 1850 to July 28, 1959. In 1974, it was declared a provincial historic site.
