Posted: Jun 09, 2021 10:21 AM AT | Last Updated: June 9
The park that used to commemorate Edward Cornwallis is now officially known as Peace and Friendship Park.(Gareth Hampshire/CBC)
Peace and Friendship Park is the new name for a Halifax park that was originally named for Edward Cornwallis, the city s founder.
Halifax regional council made the change official in a unanimous vote Tuesday following the recommendation of a task force last year.
A statue of Cornwallis that used to be in the park in the city s south end was taken down and placed in storage in 2018. That followed a number of demonstrations drawing attention to his so-called scalping proclamation against Mi kmaw men, women and children.
During election szn, some councillors said they supported it. Come budget time, they backtracked. This week Halfiax’s budget committee voted on the police budget, but talks about how HRM spends its money on policing have been buzzing for more than a year–since El Jones’s presentation on defunding the police to the Board of Police Commissioners in January 2020, to a global movement demanding the police and prison industrial complexes are dismantled. Back in October, when citizens of Halifax were deciding who to vote for in the municipal election, The Coast asked every candidate a long list of yes or no questions. On the subject of defunding the police, here’s how the eventual winners–now our elected representatives–voted.