The City of Winnipeg is looking for volunteers to help make decisions about historical markers and place names throughout the city.
The city put out a call on Tuesday for residents to apply to become part of the Welcoming Winnipeg Committee of Community Members.
The committee is intended to help ensure that local place names reflect a balanced perspective and tell the complete history of Winnipeg, including the perspective of Indigenous people.
The project stems from a council motion passed in January of this year, but is especially relevant now, as worldwide protests are forcing people to re-examine namesakes and monuments and their connections to historical racism.
Well-known names of Winnipeg streets and neighbourhoods, like Wolseley — named after 19th-century British-military general who led the suppression of the Red River Resistance — have faced recent criticism due to their colonial roots.
The Winnipeg committee will include eight community members and one ex-officio member designated by mayor Brian Bowman.
Committee members are expected to have education and/or experience in relevant areas, or professional or community work that reflects an interest in the city’s history and the ongoing impacts of colonialism.
The city is taking applications at winnipeg.ca/welcomingwinnipeg until July 17, with an expected first meeting of the group in mid-August, before opening things up to public requests.