An application is in the works to remove the name of Grandin neighbourhood, located in St. Albert.
Spokesperson Cory Sinclair confirmed via email October 8th that the administration is reviewing the application.
“In accordance with this policy, the naming committee is currently working with the sponsor, and other city departments as appropriate, to review applications for name removal based on the name removal criteria,” he wrote. “If the naming committee determines that this application for name removal meets the name removal criteria, the naming committee will cause affected community groups and equity-deserving groups to be notified and consulted.”
A Roman Catholic priest, Grandin, 1829-1902, was key in creating Canada’s Indian Residential School System (IRSS). Attempts to remove his name from assets have also been in works in Morinville, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and nationwide.
It’s unknown how much of the Grandin neighbourhood is being considered by the application. The area south of the downtown core contains Grandin Road and Grandin Lane, Grandin Lakeside Village, Grandville Avenue and Place, and Grandora Crescent and Park.
Back in 2021, Catholic school boards in St. Albert and in Edmonton voted unanimously to remove Grandin’s name from schools.
“The City of St. Albert had two residential schools: The St. Albert Youville Residential School was in operation from 1873 to 1948 and the Edmonton Residential School (located at Poundmaker) was in operation from 1924 to 1968,” according to the St. Albert document, titled Addressing Public Concerns About Grandin Placenames. “Recovery work is currently underway for the St. Albert Youville Residential School.”
The Catholic school boards in St. Albert and Edmonton voted all in favour in 2021 to remove Grandin’s name from their schools. Vital Grandin School in St. Albert was renamed Holy Family on September 27 of that year.
The Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools naming policy rules schools should be named or renamed in honour of the Divinity which could be a beatified or canonized person or group (usually a saint).
Sinclair said the city’s decision making process would take several weeks, meaning council, which has final say, probably wouldn’t see a decision item until at least the New Year.
Comments