
Although building in the town is taking place despite the moratorium on development along the Haldimand Tract announced by Haudenosaunee traditional chiefs earlier this year, Grand Valley may add some Indigenous names to new streets.
“One thing would be, we weren’t the first ones here, and we should probably remember that once in a while,” told Grand Valley’s Deputy Mayor Philip Rentsch, explaining the rationale behind the suggestion. “The second thing is I would love to hear people try to say Haudenosaunee and Attawandaron on all the time.”
Unlike many other Dufferin municipalities, Grand Valley has yet to adopt a land acknowledgement read at the beginning of town events, such as council meetings. Until this April, The Town of Grand Valley was sending notice of planning applications to the Haudenosaunee with the incorrect name of the town.
“We send a notice to the Six Nations of the Grand River territory via mail on every application that I have to give notice on,” said Grand Valley’s Planner Mark Kluge at an April council meeting. “Unfortunately, we have the wrong spelling of the town, but everything else was correct. So, nothing has ever come back to us through Canada Post. I’m going to correct that.”
The suggestion for Grand Valley’s new street name strategy happens after Six Nations chiefs and 1492 Land Back Lane members joined those calling for a permanent space for Indigenous peoples in the region of Kitchener and Waterloo. This week, paddlers were trekking down the Grand River to raise awareness of, in addition to gathering data regarding, the development moratorium.
“It’s really about reclaiming space, reclaiming our land, to come together as Indigenous peoples,” said Shawn Johnston, founder of the Kitchener Waterloo Land Back Camp, to CTV News Kitchener. “More awareness that these are stolen lands.”
On April 20, 2021, Haudenosaunee leadership announced that they would no longer consider it acceptable to develop along the entire Haldimand Tract. The tract consists of 10km of land on both sides of the Grand River, from Dundalk to Lake Erie. According to Museum of Dufferin records, the Dufferin County municipalities with at least some land lying upon the Haldimand Tract are Grand Valley, Shelburne, Melancthon, Amaranth, and East Garafraxa. Maps show that all of Grand Valley is included. Shelburne’s council, having discovered that the Haldimand Tract may include western portions of the town, directed staff to re-examine its land acknowledgement to see if changes are needed. After receiving formal notice of the moratorium on May 27, Dufferin County councillors agreed to direct staff to request an opportunity to communicate with the Six Nations.
Grand Valley Planner Mark Kluge stated that there might be some issues with adopting Indigenous names as streets throughout the town.
“I understand where are you’re coming from,” said Kluge. “The problem that happens with names that are not English, and this sounds bad, is the mispronunciation.”
Mispronunciations of Indigenous names are widespread, even by councillors who routinely speak them at meetings. Kluge pointed out that misarticulations can create issues when communicating with dispatchers and first responders, such as EMS and 911.
“It can be tricky, but I’m sure there’s a way around it,” declared Kluge. “Teaching people how to say it phonetically, I think, will go a long way.”
At the beginning of the street naming discussion, Kluge delineated how the current policy was to use the surname of veterans and how that list had been exhausted. The planner mentioned how the street naming database needs to be updated for new developments, followed by the vetting process ensuring there is no duplication with other municipalities in Dufferin County.
“If you think of a street name and you want to have it for Grand Valley, let me know and I’ll run it through the process,” the town planner told councilmembers.
There is a petition to the federal government, sponsored by Hamilton Centre MP Matthew Green, calling for them to uphold the established Treaty relationship with the Haudenosaunee of the Grand River Territory. Furthermore, the document insists the Canadian Government honour the moratorium put in place by the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council and end the practice of paying out developers who do not honour the moratorium.
References – Indigenous names may be used for Grand Valley’s new streets
- ProtectTheTract
- Indigenous History and Treaty Lands in Dufferin County – Museum of Dufferin
- Town of Shelburne Re-Examining Land Acknowledgement
- Amaranth Council: Investigate all ‘Residential Schools’
- Dufferin Receives Notice of Development Moratorium
- Haldimand Tract Moratorium: Current Practices Insufficient
- Haldimand Tract Moratorium: Dufferin Politicians Respond
- ‘Reclaiming our land’: Indigenous leaders join KW Land Back Camp in calls for permanent space – CTV News Kitchener
- Group paddling down the Grand River collecting data for a moratorium on Haldimand Tract development – Cambridge Times
- Haudenosaunee chiefs declare development moratorium across entire Haldimand Tract – APTN News
- Petition e-3466 (Indigenous affairs) – Our Commons
More Dufferin News
- Dufferin County Staff: Pay Volunteers on Committees
- Dufferin EarlyON Staff To Be Cut By 53%
- Dufferin County Road 109 & County Road 3: Roundabout?
- Dufferin Oaks Front Entrance Project $94,500 Over Budget
- Contrary to Reports, Amaranth Flag Raising Policy Unused
- Shelburne Letters Signage Pushed Off For Time Being
- Shelburne Council Continues to Mull Giant Letters
- Plans for Giant Letters in Shelburne Park May Get Nixed
- Shelburne Pushes Ahead on Jack Downing Park
- Dufferin County Council: Responding to Racism and Hate
- Amaranth Council: Investigate all ‘Residential Schools’
- Dufferin Receives Notice of Development Moratorium
- Haldimand Tract Moratorium: Current Practices Insufficient
- Haldimand Tract Moratorium: Dufferin Politicians Respond
- Grand Valley Commemorates Councillor Elizabeth Taylor
- Grand Valley Councillor Gives Notice of Resignation
- Grand Valley Council Seat Open to Public Nominations
- Orangeville Businesses Want Sidewalk Project Delayed
- $800k Dufferin Rail Corridor Resurfacing Project Approved
- Commissioner Report on Currie’s Pride Remarks Released
- See Crime in Orangeville? Call the Police, Not Town Hall!
- WDG Public Health Holds Session on Vaccine Hesitancy
- Lockdown Protest Organizer May See ‘Expanded Charges’
- Bruce Trail Conservancy Makes Plea of Shelburne Community
- Dufferin Muslim Groups Make Demand of Local Politicians
- Mulmur Council Wants Meetings Accessible Post-COVID
- Thumbnail Sketches: Artist Kayla Jackson
- Orangeville Police Service Board Talks Lockdown Protests
- Accessible Website? Fines Coming For Noncompliant Orgs
- Local Digital Marketing Firm Pushes Online Accessibility
- Some Organizations Face AODA Compliance Deadline
- UGDSB Scraps School Resource Officer Program
- Cannabis in Dufferin: What’s going on in Grand Valley?
- Reports of People ‘Squatting’ at Monora Park
- Big Upgrades Announced for Grand Valley Community Centre
- Task Force Advises UGDSB Cancel Resource Officer Program
- Shelburne Names Members to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee
- MELANCTHON’S NEW COUNCILLOR HAS BEEN CHOSEN!
- Candidates Seeking Vacant Seat Questioned By Melancthon’s Council
- Melancthon One Step Closer to Filling Council Vacancy
- WDGPH: ‘Number of factors at play’ BIPOC 5x more likely to catch COVID
- Andrew Cunningham: Black History Month in Dufferin
- Polvier Folkes-Grandison: Black History Month in Dufferin
- Trisha Linton: Black History Month in Dufferin
- Dufferin County Rejects WDGPH Request for Assistance
- Internet in Town of Mono: ‘No Home Left Behind’
- Shelburne’s Police Services Board – More Barriers Broken
- Township of Amaranth Council Vacancy Filled!
- A New Magazine with A ‘Local Purpose’ is On Its Way!
- Dufferin Marketing Firm Grows While Giving Back
- Vaccines: Headwaters Hospital Manager Puts Family First
- A Discussion with Orangeville Councillor Todd Taylor
- Two cars go off road in a week at Rolling Hills & McCannell
- WDPGH Releases COVID-19 Vaccine Information
- #Shoes4Shelburne 2020: An Overwhelming Success
- Rogers, Bank of China, Anti-Abortion Groups Take CEWS
- Shelburne’s Deck The Door Contest 2020 has a Victor!
- A Taste of Jamaica in Shelburne with Smokey Island Grille
- More on ‘Workplace Isolating’ in East Garafraxa Township
- East Garafraxa Public Works Staff ‘Workplace Isolating’
- Update on vacant council seat in Amaranth Township
- IS AMARANTH’S MAYOR CURRIE RESIGNING?
- AMARANTH MAYOR CURRIE UNLEASHES HIS FURY
- Amaranth Residents Call Out Mayor Currie’s Empty Threat
- Mayor Bob Currie Protests Donation to Food Banks
- IS AMARANTH’S MAYOR CURRIE RESIGNING?
- AMARANTH MAYOR DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO RAISE PRIDE FLAG FOR 2021
- AMARANTH’S DEPUTY MAYOR CALLS OUT MAYOR’S PRIDE INTOLERANCE
- AMARANTH MAYOR: WHY CAN’T WE USE THE RIVER TO FIGHT FIRES?!
- ‘Trojan Horse’ Proposed at Fung Loy Kok in Mono
- Dufferin County Councillor Brings Religion Into Politics
- Passionate Outpourings, A Life of Much Artistic Verve & Vitality!
- Shelburne Street Names Will Honour Black & Indigenous Past
- Robert Allen: A Man For All Seasons
- Orangeville Transit Hub Downtown Location Gets Nixed
- Orangeville Council Wants Access to Drive Tests Limited
- NEW DETAILS ON WE CHARITY ‘EXONERATION’
- MP Kyle Seeback Asks For Local Business Nominations!
- There is assistance for homeless men in Dufferin County!
- Dufferin News Contributor Gets 3rd at McMichael Art Show
- My Crafty Neighbour has a space with limitless opportunity!
- New Grand Valley Pizza Place Opens Tonight!
- “Please…symptoms can widely range…don’t assume it’s just a cold!”
- Town of Orangeville Staff tests positive for COVID-19
- Epidemiologist Calls Out Upper Grand DSB
- Ontario teachers, exposed to COVID, may still go to class
- UGDSB TRUSTEE CALLS BUSES “ROLLING INCUBATORS”
- IS ENOUGH BEING DONE TO KEEP LUNCHES SAFE IN THE UGDSB?
- ‘Glimmer of hope’ as Dufferin business community nears second wave
- Through the eyes of a Canadian female collective
- Robert Allen: A Man For All Seasons
- Marnie Cooke: “How do you turn off your ears?”
- Streams Community Hub: A New Age For The Dufferin Arts
- Tony Rose Pool Closure May Decimate Orangeville Otters!
- ORANGEVILLE USED IN MARKETING CROWD CONTROL TECHNOLOGY
- IRIS R&D Group Responds: We Don’t Own FaceMatch
- Orangeville Under Surveillance?! What is IRIS R&D?
- Orangeville Library Consolidation: Who Gets Hurt?
- Orangeville Food Bank Has Officially Moved!
- Is The Orangeville Banner Endangering Public Health?!
- Essential Worker? What’s it actually mean?
- Discussion on Development – Orangeville Councillor Todd Taylor
- Dufferin Speaks – Hansen Development: Discussion with Darrin Davidson
- Dufferin News – Videojournalism For Our Community
- Press Release: Dufferin’s Spotlight Production launches Online Community News Program
- Interested in Being A Contributor? Apply Here!