HALIFAX - The Halifax street that had long honoured a colonial governor who issued a bounty on the scalps of Mi鈥檏maq people has been renamed to commemorate a Millbrook First Nation activist and 鈥渦nsung hero鈥 of residential school survivors.
Seeing Nora Bernard Street signs in person for the first time Monday was emotional, Bernard鈥檚 daughter Natalie Gloade said after a renaming ceremony.
鈥淢y mother was a warrior and a force to be reckoned with,鈥 Gloade said.
鈥淎nd she was so very, very humble. She would have probably said the naming should go to someone else,鈥 she said with a laugh.
Nora Bernard, from Millbrook First Nation in Truro, N.S., was a residential school survivor who fought a 15-year court battle to win compensation for Indigenous children forced to attend those schools.
Following Bernard鈥檚 legal fight, survivors of residential schools across Canada filed similar lawsuits, which were amalgamated and led to a national settlement in 2005 for more than $5 billion.
Millbrook First Nation Chief Bob Gloade said Monday he hopes the street renaming will increase Nova Scotians鈥 and 春色直播s' awareness of Bernard, who he calls an "unsung hero."
Gloade said Bernard was 鈥渒indhearted鈥 and spent a great deal of time caring for her fellow survivors of the Shubenacadie residential school.
鈥淪he brought people into her home, she went to visit people, she was an advocate for the survivors of the residential school system,鈥 he said.
鈥淪he took that upon herself to correct the wrongs that were done to herself, her friends and her fellow students, and it trickled right across the country to all residential school survivors."
Bernard鈥檚 relatives and friends in attendance said they remember her for her warmth, generosity and the care she gave all those around her.
During the ceremony, Danielle Gloade, one of Bernard鈥檚 many grandchildren, said that as she was driving into the city to see Nora Bernard Street Monday morning she 鈥渃ould envision my grandmother with her big smile.鈥
The Halifax road now called Nora Bernard Street was originally named after Edward Cornwallis, the founder of Halifax, who issued a bounty for the scalps of Mi'kmaq men, women and children in 1749.
In July 2021 Halifax Regional Municipality invited residents to vote on a new street name to replace Cornwallis, and Bernard was the top choice with more than 2,400 votes.
Halifax councillor Lindell Smith, who represents the north-end district that includes Nora Bernard Street, said the renaming is being celebrated by the city and especially by the neighbourhood鈥檚 historic African Nova Scotian community.
The street is home to New Horizons Baptist Church, which was known as the African Baptist Church when it was founded in 1832 and as Cornwallis Street Baptist Church when it was incorporated in 1892.
The historic church鈥檚 founder, Richard Preston, is credited with forming Nova Scotia鈥檚 African Abolition Society in 1846.
鈥淭he street has a really huge importance to the African Nova Scotia community here as well, and we鈥檙e just as excited to recognize somebody who was fighting for their people,鈥 Smith said during the event Monday.
Smith said the renaming 鈥渨asn鈥檛 an easy road鈥 and that he and his council peers received emails 鈥渇rom people with truthfully racist rhetoric" during the process.
鈥淲e defended this process in order to go through with some real reconciliation with our Mi鈥檏maq brothers and sisters," he said. "We had to do this.鈥
Bernard was killed in 2007 by her grandson James Douglas Gloade, who was sentenced to 15 years for manslaughter in 2008.
This report by 春色直播was first published Oct. 30, 2023.
