Great Canadian Bridges

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Were they instrumental in the creation of the bridge?

The proposed name change is "in the spirit of reconciliation".

Just like the Wolastoqey (Maliseet) tribe in NB is insistent that the name of the St. John River be changed to the Wolastoq River "in the spirit of reconciliation).

There is a massive push right now to rename things to their aboriginal counterparts, which I don't necessarily agree with. This is disruptive and really doesn't accomplish much substantially in terms of real reconciliation.

FWIW however, I don't mind the name Wolastoq. It's more unique than "St. John", and is relatively easy to pronounce. A name change here however is unlikely to happen as it would involve the federal Canadian and US governments as well as NB, QC and ME.

I think the Confederation Bridge should remain as is.

[jonny24]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

The Confederation Bridge from NB to PEI had it's 25th anniversary last week. It was a low key affair.

The PEI legislature BTW is petitioning the feds to have the bridge renamed Epekwitk Crossing. Epekwitk is the traditional Micmac name for PEI (anglicized as Abegweit).

I'm not sure how I feel about this......

I actually learned this very recently. PEI's provincial rugby team is the "Abbies".

[MolsonExport]

that would be epic, err, I mean Epek.

Actually, I'm not sure how I feel about this......

[WhipperSnapper]

I don't see the point changing the name of a modern bridge over water unless they are inferring the name "Confederation" referring to the creation of Canada is bad.

[J.OT13]

We're way overkilling it on renaming things "in the name of reconciliation". It's an easy for Government but a pain in the rear end for everybody else thing to do. Take the money (and then some) that would go into renaming everything and invest it in something useful, like making sure reservations have clean water, building indigenous spaces, more mental health and addiction treatments.

[jamincan]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

We're way overkilling it on renaming things "in the name of reconciliation". It's an easy for Government but a pain in the rear end for everybody else thing to do. Take the money (and then some) that would go into renaming everything and invest it in something useful, like making sure reservations have clean water, building indigenous spaces, more mental health and addiction treatments.

It's the political equivalent of virtue signalling. Look like your doing something while you do nothing.

[Metro-One]

Yep, it’s the current virtue signaling fad. In some circumstances it makes sense (good example of this is the Queen Charlotte Islands becoming Haida Gwaii) but in others, such as in this situation, it’s a cheap publicity stunt where those proposing it haven’t thought of the deeper implications.

It’s obvious to see how many may not be so happy about renaming a modern structure built with the symbolism of the unity of our nation… the confederation bridge.

Believe it our not but some people still have some pride in our nation and what it has become.

[Loco101]

Not everyone in Canada saw or sees today confederation as a good thing. But that's a good thing that different types of people have a voice and can express how they feel.
It's not always pleasant to here criticisms but we will only get better if we listen and learn. Nobody should be made uncomfortable for questioning how we do things.

Many of the names of places, natural features, bodies of water, etc. were renamed or given English or French variations of their original names. I'm all for having the original Indigenous names shown on signs and documents. I do feel that many things should revert back to their original names officially.

For example, many lakes in my region were renamed as recently as 40-50 years ago because the Anishnaabe or Cree names were too hard to pronounce according to historians which is ridiculous. I have old maps that show the original names and they aren't very complicated with the exception of a few. Some of the lakes were renamed due to outfitters wanting to have more romantic sounding names in English or named after local non-Indigenous people as a tribute.

I'm for allowing First Nations to put forward request for changes back to their original names on their traditional territories. It doesn't necessarily mean that the English/French name won't exist or be used anymore but there at the very least needs to be recognition or original Indigenous names.

[theman23]

Originally Posted by Loco101

Not everyone in Canada saw or sees today confederation as a good thing. But that's a good thing that different types of people have a voice and can express how they feel.
It's not always pleasant to here criticisms but we will only get better if we listen and learn. Nobody should be made uncomfortable for questioning how we do things.

Many of the names of places, natural features, bodies of water, etc. were renamed or given English or French variations of their original names. I'm all for having the original Indigenous names shown on signs and documents. I do feel that many things should revert back to their original names officially.

For example, many lakes in my region were renamed as recently as 40-50 years ago because the Anishnaabe or Cree names were too hard to pronounce according to historians which is ridiculous. I have old maps that show the original names and they aren't very complicated with the exception of a few. Some of the lakes were renamed due to outfitters wanting to have more romantic sounding names in English or named after local non-Indigenous people as a tribute.

I'm for allowing First Nations to put forward request for changes back to their original names on their traditional territories. It doesn't necessarily mean that the English/French name won't exist or be used anymore but there at the very least needs to be recognition or original Indigenous names.

40-50 years is a lifetime. For those of us who don't speak the language (which I imagine includes most native Canadians) having to relearn names is a pretty onerous task.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by theman23

40-50 years is a lifetime. For those of us who don't speak the language (which I imagine includes most native Canadians) having to relearn names is a pretty onerous task.

Not every First Nation wants to rename everything immediately if ever. I do know a lot of Cree people who shorten their own traditional names of things as they do find using many of their own traditional names onerous.

The only local example that I can think of where an English name got officially changed back to its original Anishnaabe name in the 1980s I think was the Red Sucker River which went back to being the Tatachikapika River and everyone calls it its Indigenous name now which means Red Sucker. Some people call it the "tat" or "tata" for short.

[jamincan]

Originally Posted by Loco101

Not everyone in Canada saw or sees today confederation as a good thing. But that's a good thing that different types of people have a voice and can express how they feel.
It's not always pleasant to here criticisms but we will only get better if we listen and learn. Nobody should be made uncomfortable for questioning how we do things.

Many of the names of places, natural features, bodies of water, etc. were renamed or given English or French variations of their original names. I'm all for having the original Indigenous names shown on signs and documents. I do feel that many things should revert back to their original names officially.

For example, many lakes in my region were renamed as recently as 40-50 years ago because the Anishnaabe or Cree names were too hard to pronounce according to historians which is ridiculous. I have old maps that show the original names and they aren't very complicated with the exception of a few. Some of the lakes were renamed due to outfitters wanting to have more romantic sounding names in English or named after local non-Indigenous people as a tribute.

I'm for allowing First Nations to put forward request for changes back to their original names on their traditional territories. It doesn't necessarily mean that the English/French name won't exist or be used anymore but there at the very least needs to be recognition or original Indigenous names.

To be clear, I'm not actually against renaming things, reassessing statues and monuments and what not. But I don't think those things represent substantive progress in and of themselves. Without any actual change, like, I dunno, improving access to safe drinking water in remote northern communities, renaming a river (or painting a rainbow crosswalk, to give a different example) is just performative and can't really be seen as positive change any more than painting a crumbling house is.

[jonny24]

So what did they call the original bridge built by the First Nations connecting PEI to the mainland?

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by Loco101

Not everyone in Canada saw or sees today confederation as a good thing. But that's a good thing that different types of people have a voice and can express how they feel.
It's not always pleasant to here criticisms but we will only get better if we listen and learn. Nobody should be made uncomfortable for questioning how we do things.

Many of the names of places, natural features, bodies of water, etc. were renamed or given English or French variations of their original names. I'm all for having the original Indigenous names shown on signs and documents. I do feel that many things should revert back to their original names officially.

For example, many lakes in my region were renamed as recently as 40-50 years ago because the Anishnaabe or Cree names were too hard to pronounce according to historians which is ridiculous. I have old maps that show the original names and they aren't very complicated with the exception of a few. Some of the lakes were renamed due to outfitters wanting to have more romantic sounding names in English or named after local non-Indigenous people as a tribute.

I'm for allowing First Nations to put forward request for changes back to their original names on their traditional territories. It doesn't necessarily mean that the English/French name won't exist or be used anymore but there at the very least needs to be recognition or original Indigenous names.

It's a case by case basis. I'm not bothered that a name change has been submitted for a modern bridge crossing that didn't exist until 25 years ago or that the modern city of Toronto is being introduced as the traditional territories of First Nations tribes that haven't been in control in over 150 to 200 years. I just find it a little nuts. We have plenty of issues to address today. Concentrating on making amends to the distant past in which the vast majority of Canadian share no ancestry is not wanting to deal with the issues of today. That doesn't mean i'm not ignorant that Confederation is the result of an advanced civilization supplanting a stone aged one. It's just not possible to go back. Reconciliation is the dissolution of Canada. That wouldn't help anyone.

As for the bridge, adding a plaque with the native pronunciation under the name is a reasonable gesture. Wasting money to change the name to a phonetic pronunciation in our Latin Alphabet forced upon the Micmac doesn't really accomplish anything. IMO, this is all counter to acknowledging the mistakes of the past and applying that in the present. How does a name change in Latin letters help the people today?

[davidivivid]

Preparatory work for the construction of the new Ile d'Orléans bridge has supposedly begun so the days of this old lady are numbered.



https://www.facebook.com/abcparchite...14028078636179

[MonctonRad]

I've always liked that bridge. I've been across it several times. Ile d'Orleans is a wonderful retreat from Quebec City. Will the new bridge also be a suspension bridge???

[MolsonExport]

It is truly amazing how Ile d'Orleans has been preserved. It is really close to QC and could have been subjected to much more development. Thankfully it hasn't. Lovely place.

[davidivivid]

It will be a cable-stayed bridge built 120m to the west of the actual bridge.



• Video Link
https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle...YQSgUKucgvHy5Y

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by jonny24

I actually learned this very recently. PEI's provincial rugby team is the "Abbies".

Yup. And as I am sure MonctonRad knows the most legendary or beloved PEI ferry was called the "Abegweit".

I think it's lying scrapped on a beach somewhere in India now, though.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Yup. And as I am sure MonctonRad knows the most legendary or beloved PEI ferry was called the "Abegweit".

I think it's lying scrapped on a beach somewhere in India now, though.

The original Abegweit is now the clubhouse of the Chicago Yacht Club. I've been to Chicago maybe a half dozen times, and the old ferry has a prominent location on the Chicago lakefront, just south of the downtown core and the Navy Pier.

The replacement Abegweit however was broken up on a beach in India however. It was a good ship too.

[MolsonExport]

Abegweit

took that many times way back in the day