The Town of Kentville is in the process of building a new bridge across the river in town. According to the sign which went up recently, the name of this bridge is to be the Cornwallis Bridge. We do not think it is appropriate to continue naming landmarks after Edward Cornwallis, and in the current spirit of reconciliation we feel a more appropriate name should be given to the new bridge.

The Mi'kmaq called the river Jijuktu'kwejk or Chijekwtook, meaning Narrow River. I would love to see the bridge named this; there are so few indigenous place names in the local area (and already so many named after individuals like Cornwallis). 

Unlike requesting a name change for an established landmark, like a river or street, or requesting the removal of a statue, this request to name a new feature - yet to be constructed - should be easily achieved. Surely it makes more sense to name it in honour of the Mi'kmaq people whose land this is rather than for a man who oppressed those people. This is a very current issue, with the protests at the Cornwallis statue in Halifax, the discussion of the MacDonald name currently used for many high schools in Ontario, and further afield the issues with Confederate monuments in the USA. Choosing a First Nations name for this bridge would let Kentville take the lead in acknowledging the Mi'kmaw nation and be a wonderful step forward.

What better landmark to use for this than a bridge, something that joins two sides?