Timmins city council has thrown its support behind a plan to put up a sign at the corner of Vipond Rd. and Moneta Ave., giving it the honorary name “Bernadette Sutherland Way”.
Sutherland was an Indigenous woman who moved to Timmins in the 1980s to escape an abusive relationship in Fort Albany, only to be murdered and her body left at Vipond and Moneta in 1986.
One of her eleven children, Virginia, spoke to council.
“For me personally and my family,” she said, “this initiative is for a legacy for my mother, also to have that foundation in terms of other initiatives to come out of this project, under the Missing and Murdered Women Call for Action.”
A consultant to the family, Melanie Verreault told council the Sutherlands hope this will start movement on 40 calls for action from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
“And I really think our community has this opportunity to be a lead across this country when it comes to something like this,” Verreault added.
A plan is in the works to unveil the sign next May 5th, Red Skirt Day in memory of murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls. No addresses on either street will be changed.