Artists concept of the idea for a new crosswalk in front of St. Joe's high school.

By Curtis Galbraith

Community

School officials advocating for Indigenous-themed crosswalk at St. Joe’s high school

Oct 6, 2022 | 6:00 AM

Officials from St. Joe’s high school are hoping to work with the City on having a crosswalk painted with Indigenous symbols in front of the school connecting to their parking lot.

Omarla Cooke, the school’s Indigenous success coach and the Indigenous team lead with Grande Prairie and District Catholic Schools, says it is an idea that has been discussed since the summer.

“My role is to ensure that all students are educated on the truth of our country but with a moving forward focus.”

“I think that this was one of the ways where we could actually visually embrace and encourage the students to take on that role in reconciliation.”

Cooke says it would be seen as a bridge from the parking lot to the school.

“The bridge in my thought process is because of the history, there are some tainted relationships, there are some struggles in those relationships, and I think that it’s important to reconnect and start fresh.”

“This is kind of that way of bridging outside of school into school.”

Cooke says the crosswalk design is meant to represent all the peoples whose traditional territories make up this area. She also says people coming to the school for sports or community events would also see it and it would show the school district’s commitment to the community.

St. Joe’s classroom support teacher Shauna Baird came up with the idea.

She says people at the school would be doing the painting.

“The students, the staff, it would be a real community effort. That’s one thing that we really value in St. Joe’s is we are a community.”

“We have students that need work skills, and we have students that just want skills, period.”

Both were part of a delegation that spoke to city council at its meeting on Monday. They told council that the crosswalk would have to be repaired before it was painted. Council has asked administration to report back to the committee level on how this idea can be supported.

Baird says if the city is willing to repair it, the school would paint it and maintain the paint job.

“I think that’s one thing that if we can all work together and keep it up. I think it is something really beautiful that we can look forward to.”

Baird says they would like to get it done now, but realizes it is late in the year. She adds ideally, it would be the first thing the city does next spring.