Prince Albert’s Passage Home Project Moves Forward with Updates

The Prince Albert Executive Committee will receive an update on the **Passage Home** project during a meeting on **October 3, 2023**. This initiative, which aims to create a memorial sculpture and healing park along **River Street**, is dedicated to Indigenous children who lost their lives away from home in residential schools, day schools, and the Sixties Scoop. The project is led by **Mary Longman**, an artist from the **Saulteaux Gordon First Nation**.

The centerpiece of the project is a bronze sculpture designed in the shape of a traditional **travois**, which was historically used by Indigenous peoples to transport goods. This sculpture will be placed on a boulder overlooking the **North Saskatchewan River**. Surrounding the sculpture, the healing park will feature winding brick pathways, custom benches inscribed with the phrase “Give children roots, love, and wings,” as well as sage plantings and maple trees to enhance the space.

Councillor **Daniel Brown** emphasized the significance of the Passage Home project as a step toward reconciliation. He stated, “It’s a chance to show real recognition of what happened and that it should never have happened.” According to Brown, the upcoming meeting will allow councillors to seek further clarification about the project’s details, which he described as having a “hefty price tag.”

**Jesse Campbell**, the interim artistic director at the **Mann Art Gallery**, highlighted the project’s cultural importance. “This is a significant project for our city, our region, and even our province,” she noted. Campbell described it as a vital space for education, reconciliation, healing, and remembrance, allowing families and communities to gather. She also pointed out the project’s strategic location near the **Sisters in Spirit** monument, creating a continuous space for commemoration and reflection along the riverbank.

The construction of the sculpture is groundbreaking in its use of technology; Campbell revealed that Passage Home is believed to be the first bronze sculpture in Canada to utilize **3D-printing processes**. The installation of the sculpture is anticipated for **June 2024**, pending adherence to the project timeline. Currently, the third phase, which includes 3D printing and bronze casting, is underway, following earlier phases that focused on design and park construction.

The Executive Committee meeting is scheduled for **4 p.m.** in the council chambers on the second floor of **City Hall**. This gathering represents an important moment for the community as it engages in discussions about a project aimed at honoring the history and legacy of Indigenous peoples in the area.