Church to change name to remove reference to controversial founder of Halifax
HALIFAX — An African Baptist church that dates back to the early 1800s is changing its name to scrub it of any reference to Halifax’s controversial founder, who some say was guilty of a type of genocide against the Mi’kmaq.
Rev. Rhonda Britton of the Cornwallis Street Baptist Church said Monday that a motion was accepted at a recent meeting to remove any connection to Edward Cornwallis, who founded Halifax in 1749 and soon after issued a bounty on the scalps of Mi’kmaq men, women and children.
Britton said church members accepted the motion because the name perpetuates the harm done to the Mi’kmaq, who have long called for removal of municipal tributes to Cornwallis because of actions some have deemed to be genocidal.
“I was really pleased that folks seemed to grab hold of that and be excited by it,” she said. “The elders who have been here the longest are in favour the change. People recognize that you can’t change the history, but you don’t have to perpetuate the harm.”