TAMRMS#: B06
10.2
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Plebiscite Question - Grandin Renaming
Notice given by: Councillor Hughes
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PROPOSED MOTION(S):
recommendation
That the 20 day notice period requirement in section 119(9) of the Procedure Bylaw be waived.
If passed with 2/3 majority, then the following may proceed:
That the following questions be added to the ballot during the 2025 municipal general election to be voted on by the electors:
Should the Grandin neighbourhood be renamed? Yes or No.
Should Grandin Road, Grandin Lane, and Grandin Place be renamed? Yes or No.
Should the Grandin Clubhouse, Grandin Pond Ecopark, and Grandin Ravine be renamed? Yes or No.
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ADMINISTRATION’S UNDERSTANDING OF THE INTENT OF THE MOTION
If the main motion passes, then administration will add the following questions to the ballot during the 2025 municipal general election to be voted on by the electors:
Should the Grandin neighbourhood be renamed? Yes or No.
Should Grandin Road, Grandin Lane, and Grandin Place be renamed? Yes or No.
Should the Grandin Clubhouse, Grandin Pond Ecopark, and Grandin Ravine be renamed? Yes or No.
PURPOSE OF REPORT
The purpose of this report is to present a motion for which Councillor Huges gave notice on February 25, 2025.
ALIGNMENT TO COUNCIL DIRECTION OR MANDATORY STATUTORY PROVISION
The Municipal Government Act (MGA) permits Council to submit a question to be voted on by the electors:
236(1) A council may provide for the submission of a question to be voted on by the electors on any matter over which the municipality has jurisdiction.
(2) A vote of the electors under subsection (1) does not bind council.
237 A vote of the electors under this Part must be conducted in accordance with the Local Authorities Election Act.
The Local Authorities Election Act provides as follows with respect to questions put by Council to a vote of electors:
44(1) If there is to be a vote on a bylaw or question, the elected authority by resolution
(a) must determine the wording to be used on the ballot, and
(b) may determine the form of the ballot.
(2) If the elected authority does not determine the form of the ballot under subsection (1), the returning officer must do so.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
Please note that the below contains information relative to the Residential School System. If you require immediate support, please contact the following: The Indian Residential School Survivors Society’s 24/7 Crisis Support Line: 1-800-721-0066 or the 24-hour National Indian Residential School Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419.
A valid submission under Council Policy C-CC-05 Municipal Naming to rename municipal assets bearing the Grandin name was received and is currently under engagement and review in accordance with the policy and attendant Administrative Directive.
The impetus for the submission is:
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) concluded that residential schools were “a systematic, government-sponsored attempt to destroy Aboriginal cultures and languages to assimilate Aboriginal peoples so that they no longer existed as distinct peoples.” Bishop Grandin played a significant role in the establishment of the Indian Residential School System.
Procedural Matters:
- The MGA permits Council to submit a question to be voted on by the electors on any matter over which the municipality has jurisdiction (colloquially referred to as a plebiscite).
- The matter of whether the Grandin neighbourhood, as well as associated municipally-owned assets in the neighbourhood should be renamed, is a matter over which Council has jurisdiction in accordance with Council Policy C-CC-05 Municipal Naming.
- If a plebiscite is held, in accordance with section 236(2) of the MGA, the results will not bind Council.
IMPACTS OF MOTION
Financial:
None at this time.
Compliance & Legal:
Council Policy C-CC-05 Municipal Naming outlines the process and framework for the naming of municipal assets in the City of St. Albert. The Policy provides that only Council has the authority to remove an existing name. If this motion is approved, the information gathered from the electors would be supplemental to the Municipal Naming Council Policy, and go beyond the intent of the Policy.
Program or Service:
Should Council proceed with a plebiscite on this question, the current approach to engagement will be altered and the timeline extended.
There has been some criticism of the current approach to public engagement, specifically the perception that a decision has already been made due to the solicitation of potential replacement additions to the naming list.
Given the extended timelines, Administration would consider the implications for the naming committee and related public engagement and education efforts. This could include initiatives to bolster anti-racism efforts within the St. Albert community, including public education on Residential Schools.
Organizational:
None at this time.
Risks:
Relationships: Should this motion be approved by Council, there is likely to be an impact to the City’s relationships with Indigenous Partners.
ALIGNMENT TO PRIORITIES IN COUNCIL’S STRATEGIC PLAN
Strategic Priority Three: Community Well Being - Continue to support and collaborate on Indigenous-led initiatives to better develop meaningful relationships, honour truth and action reconciliation.
ALIGNMENT TO LEVELS OF SERVICE DELIVERY
I.3 Municipal Elections and Democratic Processes
ALTERNATIVES
N/A
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Report Date: March 4, 2025
Author: Marta Caufield
Department: Legal, Legislative & Records Services
Department Director: Marta Caufield
Chief Administrative Officer: Bill Fletcher