The bridge that spans the Bow River between Memorial Drive and Riverfront Avenue near the East Village is expected to have a new name to recognize the victims of a dark period in Canadian history.
A motion is scheduled to go before council on Monday, January 23 to rename the Langevin Bridge, which opened in 1910, as the Reconciliation Bridge.
The bridge currently bears the name of Hector-Louis Langevin, a founding father of confederation, who was instrumental in the creation of the residential school system in the 1870s. The system, where First Nations children were removed from their homes in an attempt at assimilating them to the culture of the day, was wrought with abuse. Residential schools remained in operation until 1996.
Mayor Nenshi and 13 city councillors have expressed their support for the motion to rename the bridge.
IIn June 2015, Nenshi discussed the bridge's name and Langevin's limited impact on Calgary. “He had next to no connection to Calgary. He visited once, as near as we can tell, and the reason the bridge is named after him is because he was the Federal Minister who approved the money for it.”
In addition to the name change, a plaque will be placed on the bridge explaining the history of Indian residential schools, its impact on Canada’s indigenous people and the history of the bridge.
