Twitter photo by @Hayden_King
The Ottawa Citizen reports, “The official unveiling of the new Mooney’s Bay Park is set for Canada Day 2017, but it is already the source of another controversy, this time over what one critic says is cultural insensitivity. The first controversy arose in 2016 from the lack of public consultation about the new park project. Sue Holloway outdoor fitness park was removed to make way for the $2-million, 4,600-square-metre playground.”
The newspaper article then highlights, “The latest controversy appears to have arisen over what appear to be totem poles erected on the section of the playground that has a Wild West theme. ‘Embarrassing! Hard to believe anyone thought it was a good idea’, reads a critical May 20 tweet.”
The article also quotes Lynn Gehl, an Algonquin Anishinaabe-kwe from the Ottawa River Valley who holds a PhD in indigenous studies, who says, “I think that Canada is celebrating 150 in those kinds of ways and in ways that imprint knowledge onto children that is really shameful and unfortunate. Canada is supposed to be engaging in nations and nation relationships and in reconciliation and they’re behaving really poorly.”
On Twitter, Hayden King, a Gchi’mnissing Anishinaabe writer, student and educator, comments, “Heard about this great new playground in Ottawa. Decided to give it a spin and turns out it has a theme: ‘Canada 150’…After climbing on the totem poles, kids can pretend to circle the wagons. Cowboys and Indians has never been so convenient!”
And CBC Ottawa News anchor Adrian Harewood has tweeted, “Now that the @ottawacity is aware of how it’s new Mooney’s Bay Park may insult/alienate members of Indigenous communities what can be done?”
For his part, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson has refused to acknowledge the insensitivity of the playground and instead has commented on social media, “The people who love it are the thousands of kids who have been playing on it for weeks!”
Watson supported the construction of this Canada-shaped mega-playstructure in Mooney’s Bay Park, which is situated in Ottawa South. The City provided $1 million of public money for this project. Sinking Ship Entertainment, a Toronto-based entertainment company, filmed the making of the playstructure for a reality TV show. Sixteen trees were removed from the site, as well as the park’s footbridges and an adult fitness structure.
In May-June 2016, The Council of Canadians joined with local residents to oppose this public-private partnership and raised concerns that the playground, which is built on a floodplain, could affect the adjacent Rideau River, a federally protected waterway.
