Nova Scotia village moves to drop 'Cornwallis' from its name

A village in western Nova Scotia is moving to change its name in the latest example of a community distancing itself from a controversial figure in the province's history.

The village commission of Cornwallis Square voted in April to change its name to Kings Square, capping off a process that started a number of years ago following a request from the Annapolis Valley First Nation, which is part of the community.

"We felt it was the right thing to do," said Michael Keith, chair of the village commission.  

The village, which is roughly 15 kilometres west of Kentville, took its name from Edward Cornwallis, the former British governor of Nova Scotia who issued a proclamation in 1749 promising a bounty of 10 guineas for each Mi'kmaw person killed. 

A statue of Cornwallis was removed from a downtown Halifax park in 2018 and several communities have since renamed streets that featured his name following criticism from Mi'kmaw leaders and activists.

"With ours in particular, where the First Nation is within the boundaries of our village, I think it was more important to do it," Keith said.

The new name was inspired in part by Kings County, which the village is located in.

'Long overdue'

The village's name has been a constant reminder of how the Mi'kmaq have been treated historically, said an Annapolis Valley First Nation band councillor. 

"It's long overdue and I welcome it," said Nastasya Kennedy of the name change. 

"For generations, we've had to walk past names and monuments that honour people who wanted to cause deep harm to us," she said. 

Members of the First Nation were asked by the village commission to be part of the renaming process from the start, said Kennedy. 

"True reconciliation means sharing the process, not just the outcome," she said. "That's one lesson we can carry forward together."

The village needs the approval of the Nova Scotia government to officially change its name.

The province is considering the village's request and whether enough community engagement has taken place, according to a spokesperson with the Department of Municipal Affairs. 

In the meantime, Kennedy said the First Nation continues to call on the province to change the name of the Cornwallis River, which runs for nearly 50 kilometres through the Annapolis Valley. 

"It's been an ongoing issue to change that before my time here as well," she said. 

The province has received the request from the First Nation to change the name of the river, a spokesperson said in an email. 

"We are planning to work through a process with the Mi'kmaq and local communities to consider renaming the river," the email said.