Manitoba Metis group says streets, schools named after colonial figures should stay

The Manitoba Metis Federation says it’s not supporting a petition to change Winnipeg streets and schools named after a 19th-century British military general who led the suppression of the Red River Resistance.

Federation president David Chartrand says Garnet Joseph Wolseley caused great harm to Metis and other Indigenous people in the 1800s.

After a two-day meeting on the issue, Chartrand says the federation’s cabinet decided the names of those who harmed the Metis ancestors should stay in place.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

READ MORE: Consultations show low support for renaming Winnipeg streets, places

He says the names ensure their destructive legacies are not forgotten or repeated.

A petition is calling for the renaming of Wolseley Avenue, Lord Wolseley School and Wolseley School, as monuments to other colonial leaders and slave traders are being removed around the world.

The petition calls for the locations to be renamed in honour of Metis people who resisted Wolseley’s invasion.

1:31 Bank building at Portage and Main to become Métis Nation Heritage Centre