Welcoming Winnipeg committee stuck in reboot mode

Welcoming Winnipeg, the initiative to consider proposals for Indigenous names, remains in limbo.

The city’s public service wants a six month-extension of its probe into possible changes to Welcoming Winnipeg after a policy review was conducted. Next week’s executive policy committee will deal with the extension request.

A report says the probe is aimed at creating “better outcomes, greater alignment and expedition of goals.” It is also to bolster the terms of reference for committee members, including that they “reflect Winnipeg’s diverse population.”

Mayor Scott Gillingham said in a statement on Thursday that “place names and how we share the city’s story, including the history of Indigenous peoples and communities, matter.”

“We want to get this right. The review showed the current process isn’t as clear or consistent as it should be so we’re going to fix that before moving ahead.”

The initiative, which was created in 2019, has been beset by delays.

Welcoming Winnipeg was created to look at requests to rename places and historical markers that negatively affect the Indigenous community. Its successes include the change to Abinojii Mikanah from Bishop Grandin Boulevard, to Rooster Town Park from Pan Am Pool Park, and to Theodore Niizhotay Fontaine Park from Wellington Park.

At Gillingham’s request, a consultant reviewed the Welcoming Winnipeg policy from September to November 2024 and submitted 20 recommendations. The review concluded its mandate is uncertain and it needs a budget. In March 2025, city council asked the civil service to write a report on those recommendations in four months.

Council granted another 90 days for the report at its July meeting and a second 90-day extension at its November meeting. Once again, in February, the civil service asked for a 60-day extension.

Now, it seeks a six-month extension.

A civic spokeswoman said the city wasn’t able to accommodate an interview request with the chair of Welcoming Winnipeg on Thursday.

But the spokeswoman said the latest requested delay is because “new policy materials have been drafted, but the public service requires more time to thoroughly review the material with internal and external shareholders.”

St. Vital Coun. Brian Mayes said the Welcoming Winnipeg policy, which was brought in my former mayor Brian Bowman, does need to be amended.

“I think it was a well-intentioned push by mayor Bowman, but it certainly needs to be reworked,” Mayes said.

“No one is going to wait three years (for the committee to make a decision). The process hasn’t been working… we have got to get it changed now.”

Mayes said he pushed to name a park in his ward Tunngasugit Park to honour the city’s Inuit community two years ago. He said the park’s name translates to “welcome” in English.

The councillor said the sign with the park’s name has been up for some time, but that’s as far as it has gone, and the park hasn’t been officially opened. The city’s website says the matter is still before the Welcoming Winnipeg committee.

“The sign went up and then the staff said we don’t have enough people to do the (historical) panels,” he said.

“It has been a frustrating process.”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca