More than a year later, the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway's name remains unchanged

It's been more than a year since Ottawa city councillors and residents asked the federal government to rename the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway —  and one Indigenous elder says the lack of progress is "upsetting" and "ludicrous." 

Calls to remove the name of Canada's first prime minister from the parkway are renewing this month as people plan to march along the road in protest, but also in remembrance of children who died while being forced to attend Canada's residential school system.

"There's been no progress. Zero," said Albert Dumont, an Algonquin Anishinābe spiritual adviser from Kitigan Zibi Anishinābeg near Maniwaki, Que., who called on the federal government to rename the parkway in June 2021 due to Macdonald's role in centralizing and expanding the residential school system.

"It's very upsetting."

The parkway is managed by the National Capital Commission (NCC), a Crown corporation that manages many roads, paths, parks and other spaces in Ottawa and Gatineau, Que.

It's a four-lane road stretching west from Ottawa's downtown along the Ottawa River shoreline — formerly called the Ottawa River Parkway before it was renamed after Macdonald in 2012. 

"Macdonald was a hollow-hearted, cold-blooded politician. He really put it into high gear to erase a segment of this country's population forever," said Dumont. 

Dumont said he spoke to an NCC staff member last week, who advised him that the process is "complicated."

The NCC declined an interview, but in an emailed statement said its work "on a proposed review of the name of the SJAM Parkway is ongoing." A spokesperson said the NCC updated its toponymy policy and will include Indigenous perspectives in its framework to reflect diversity in the region.

In an email obtained by CBC to another concerned Indigenous resident earlier this summer, the NCC said it will eventually consult the public on the request to rename the parkway.

"An action plan was created to guide the work of the team and outlines an approach for public consultation and Indigenous engagement," that email from an NCC manager reads.

Dumont said he doesn't see the need for "a long drawn-out process" full of consultations and action plans on whether or not to rename the parkway.

"It's kind of ludicrous that they'd even say these things," Dumont said. "It just goes to show what white supremacy is … They obviously believe that John A. Macdonald's decision to perpetrate genocide was a good one, and they're OK with him with his name being there."

Dumont is planning to walk along the parkway on the morning of Sept. 30, which is the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, from the Canadian War Museum to Parkdale Avenue. He hopes about 200 residential school survivors and their families will be joining him .