Bridgewater changes name of Cornwallis Street, citing treatment of Indigenous people

The new Crescent Street sign in Bridgewater, N.S. (David Mitchell/Facebook)

The town of Bridgewater, N.S., has changed the name of Cornwallis Street in a move the mayor says is not meant to rewrite history, but to avoid glorifying or honouring “bad people.”

“We ought to name public landmarks and sites after people we want to lift up, and keeping the street name would send the message that Cornwallis is someone we are celebrating,” said Mayor David Mitchell in a social media post.

The roadway’s new name is Crescent Street.

Edward Cornwallis, the street's former namesake, founded Halifax in 1749. That same year, he gave a proclamation which saw his government pay a bounty to anyone who killed a Mi’kmaq person in a bid to drive them off the province’s mainland.

For that action, and others, Mitchell says it is important to change the name.

“Naming things after people is reserved for those who are to be celebrated, and while Cornwallis settled what is now Halifax, his actions throughout his career are not worthy of that place of prominence on a street name,” said Mitchell.

He says the old street sign will be in the DesBrisay Museum with information about the history of the name and street.

The City of Halifax removed a statue of Cornwallis from a downtown park in 2018. The city is currently in the process of renaming its own Cornwallis Street.

For his part, Mitchell says people should “see the bigger picture.”

“I hope that as a community we can recognize that we all have a role to play in how we act and interact with each other. To quickly dismiss a deeply rooted and justified concern, such as this, is not what we should want to be as a community or individuals,” said Mitchell.