Winnipeg, MB – The City of Winnipeg is seeking applicants to be part of the Welcoming Winnipeg Committee of Community Members.
The City recognizes the importance of ensuring its place names and historical markers reflect a balanced perspective/story, honour Indigenous peoples as the original peoples of this land, offer an educational opportunity beneficial to all Winnipeggers, and support telling the complete history of Winnipeg.
On January 30, 2020, Council passed a motion to adopt the Welcoming Winnipeg: Reconciling our History Policy. This policy was developed to help guide the City in making decisions regarding requests to create new, add to, or remove/rename historical markers and place names as means of resolving the absence of Indigenous perspectives, experiences, and contributions in the stories remembered and commemorated.
The policy recommended the formation of a committee, which will consist of eight members of the community and one ex-officio member as designated by the Mayor. Committee members will be expected to have education and experience in areas such as research, project evaluation, policy analysis, and professional or community work that reflects an interest and expertise in Winnipeg’s history and the ongoing impacts and legacy of colonization, locally and internationally.
This committee will:
- Review applications to create new, add to, or remove/rename historical markers and place names and provide recommendations for EPC and Council’s consideration;
- Host delegations/community presentations; and,
- Provide the Public Service with input and advice to align existing and newly created processes related to creating new, adding to or removing/renaming historical makers and place names.
Applications will be accepted until July 17, 2020, and it’s anticipated that the group will be selected by July 31, 2020. The first meeting is tentatively scheduled for August 12, 2020. The opening of community requests will be determined after the first Committee meeting.
The Welcoming Winnipeg initiative is just one aspect of the reconciliation process the City of Winnipeg is committed to, and will help ensure that the contributions, experiences, and perspectives of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit are reflected truthfully in our stories, historical markers, and place names.
For more information, including the application form, see: winnipeg.ca/welcomingwinnipeg.