This report provides an update on the activities of the Civic Naming Committee as required by the Terms of Reference.
Policy/Strategic Impacts
The recommendation supports the Cultural Plan objective of “Conserve Cultural Heritage Resources” by ensuring that the naming of streets, parks and other civic assets celebrates Regina’s unique history and cultural diversity, and that it tells the whole story of Regina.
There are no financial, environmental, risk/legal, or other implications or considerations.
No other options are available.
This report will go to City Council via the Regina Planning Commission for consideration.
In 2017, 24 names were approved for use as a street or park name prior to the moratorium on applications to the Civic Naming Committee (Appendix 1).
In 2018, one name was approved for use as a street or park name after the Civic Naming Committee Guideline was passed (Appendix 2).
In 2019, 18 names were approved for use as a street or park name and 15 names were added to the Street Where You Live list to an existing street or park name.
Overall during the period of 2017-2019, total number of applications was down, due to the moratorium on naming and the general downturn in construction over the period. Developers have also been selecting more names off the approved naming list in order to comply with the new Civic Naming Committee Guideline, namely 4.9.2 which requires that 25% of street or park names be selected from the Street Where You Live list. This has altered the former pattern where developers would nominate 30 to 50 new names for future use in a new concept plan.
Approved names with an Indigenous connection have been of particular interest to developers in order to comply with 4.9.1, which requires developers to collaborate with the Civic Naming Committee in order to achieve a target of 25% of street and 50% of park names within a new concept plan that have an Indigenous connection. Administration anticipates that there will be a future need for more Indigenous names on the Street Where You Live list that will best be achieved through an engagement and consultation process. There are no plans to proceed with this in 2020 in order to comply with COVID-19 social distancing protocol.
A moratorium remains in place for proposed name changes pending a report on methodology for re-evaluating the legacy of historical figures whose names are approved for use or already in use in the City of Regina. The report has been tabled to a future date in 2021. There have been informal inquiries into the name change process during the period of 2017-2019, but no formal requests have been made of the City Clerk to add an item regarding name changes to a City Council meeting at this time.
In 2019, the Civic Naming Committee brought forward RPC19-27, which was intended to reduce the list of approved but not yet used names on the Street Where You Live list. The recommendations in the report were approved. As a result, 51 names were removed from the list for various reasons. The name “Firefighters” was approved for use as a future park, with the intention to honour all recipients of the Fire Services Exemplary Service Medal within the signage at the future park. The 31 approved but not yet used names of firefighters on the Street Where You Live list were removed in order to accommodate this alternative honouring. The name “Riel” was also removed from the list for health and safety reasons, with Louis Riel’s legacy to be honoured in an alternative way to be determined at a future date. Plans for an alternative honouring of Louis Riel were added to the agenda of Reconciliation Regina.
The Terms of Reference (Appendix 3) require that an annual report be brought to City Council for information via the Regina Planning Commission.
In 2017 and 2018, applications were tabled pending the approval of a new Civic Naming Committee Guideline. The 2017 and 2018 annual reports were combined with the 2019 annual report because of the low volume of applications.
Respectfully Submitted, Respectfully Submitted,
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