Indigenous elders will likely lead North Commuter Parkway naming process

Elders will be playing an important role in naming a new Saskatoon bridge.

This summer, city council voted to use the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's calls to action when naming the North Commuter Parkway.

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Now, a City of Saskatoon committee is recommending that elders and residential school survivors come up with names. Then, the names will be put forward to the Saskatoon Reconciliation Committee — made up of a wide variety of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people — who will come up with a short list.

I would want those recommendations coming from the people who know best.- Coun. Troy Davies

City council will vote on a final name.

"Sitting on the naming committee, I would not feel comfortable choosing out of a list of First Nation elders or leaders," said Coun. Troy Davies. "I would want those recommendations coming from the people who know best."

The naming process has been given a $20,000 budget.

"This is more than naming a bridge," said Catherine Gryba, the city's general manager of corporate performance. "There's community consultation. We expect to produce three to four videos for each of the names being brought forward to talk about: what the background of that name would be."

The North Commuter Parkway bridge is expected to open in 2018, along with the replacement for the traffic bridge.

City council still needs to vote on the recommendation at its next meeting.