Nora Bernard Street coming to Halifax next year

Nora Bernard Street is coming to Halifax next year.

At Tuesday's regional council meeting, councillors unanimously voted to rename Cornwallis Street in honour of the late Mi'kmaq activist.

Bernard was a residential school survivor who fought a 15-year court battle to win compensation for Indigenous children forced to attend those schools. 

Following her case, survivors across Canada filed similar suits, which were amalgamated and settled nationally in 2005 for more than $5 billion.

The north end street was originally named after Edward Cornwallis, the founder of Halifax. The former colonial governor earned a reputation for brutality after he issued a bounty for the scalps of Mi'kmaq men, women and children in 1749. 

In recent years, there has been a spirited debate in Nova Scotia over his legacy, as activists repeatedly staged protests at the foot of a statue of the man in Halifax that was eventually taken down in 2018.

In July, Halifax residents were asked to pick their top 3 from a short list of 15 names to replace Cornwallis Street. Over 8,700 people responded and Bernard's name earned the most votes.

The now former HRM civic addressing co-ordinator Gayle MacLean, who prepared the staff report on the name change, told council, “I'm confident in saying this is the highest level of engagement we've ever had for a renaming project.”

Bernard's daughter Natalie Gloade told the Canadian Press on Monday that she broke down in tears when she learned that the report was recommending the street be renamed Nora Bernard Street.

“I'm very pleased and very honoured,” Gloade said. “Not just for my family, but for all my siblings and our Indigenous people.”

The new street signs will go up next October so businesses have some time to prepare for the change.