In October 2018, Halifax Regional Council authorized the establishment of a joint Task Force on the Commemoration of Edward Cornwallis and the Recognition and Commemoration of Indigenous History (Task Force) to reflect an equal partnership between Halifax Regional Council and the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs.
July 21, 2020 Council Motion: It is recommended that Halifax Regional Council: (1) Accept the report of the Task Force on the Commemoration of Edward Cornwallis and the Recognition and Commemoration of Indigenous History; (2) Approve the proposed HRM responses to the recommendations of the Task Force report; and (3) Direct the CAO to return to Council annually to report on progress addressing the recommendations.
New Street Name Suggestions for Cornwallis Street Survey
The Halifax Regional Municipality is conducting a survey to collect new street name suggestions for Cornwallis Street in Halifax. Phase one of the survey will be open from Monday, Oct. 4 until Friday, Nov. 12, 2021.
The renaming of Cornwallis Street project is one of the recommendations of the Task Force on the Commemoration of Edward Cornwallis and the Recognition and Commemoration of Indigenous History, and a step towards reconciliation.
Once phase one of the survey closes, all submissions will be reviewed by civic addressing and diversity and inclusion staff, as well as local councillors, in accordance with civic addressing policies. The submissions will be vetted based on four criteria, including appropriateness, cultural significance, diversity, and originality.
Please note: the new street name must meet existing street naming policies and public safety considerations, therefore, any street name suggestions that are the same, or similar, to an existing street in the municipality will not be eligible. The municipality encourages suggestions that reflect the goal of reconciliation.
From this review, a short list will be created, then a second survey will be conducted, to allow residents across the municipality to choose their preferred name from the short list.
Please note: if any submissions include commemorative names of people, they would be required to go through the commemorative naming application and review process before the municipality can proceed to the short list. As staff will require background information, applicants will be required to provide their phone number and/ or email address for any commemorative name suggestions. This type of application process would extend the time frame of the project.
If you have more than one idea for a street name, please include them all when completing QUESTION 2 in the survey.