The official unveiling of new highways signs took place Thursday at Saskatoon’s Wanuskewin Heritage Park which will highlight more Treaty boundaries in the province.
Lori Carr, Minister of Highways, says thousands of daily commuters and tourists will see these signs on their driving routes. And Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan Mary Musqua-Culbertson said, “These signs allow people to recognize and understand the Treaty territories that were here long before the creation of the province.”
She says the highways crosse these territories and it is important that it is acknowledged.
The four pairs of signs will be put up along:
- Highway 39 near Estevan to mark the Treaty 2-Treaty 4 Boundary, where more than 4,600 vehicles travel daily.
- Trans-Canada Highway 1 near Moosomin to also mark another Treaty 2-Treaty 4 Boundary, where more than 5,300 vehicles travel daily.
- Yellowhead Trans-Canada Highway 16 near Lanigan to mark the Treaty 4-Treaty 6 Boundary, where more than 2,900 vehicles travel daily.
- Highway 2/102 near La Ronge to mark the Treaty 6-Treaty 10 Boundary, where about 1,000 vehicles travel daily.
Each of these new signs incorporate:
- Indigenous languages specific to their locations.
- The phrase that represents the spirit and intent of the Treaties, “as long as the sun shines, grass grows, and rivers flow.”
- The Treaty medals provided to First Nations following the Treaty negotiations.
The inaugural Treaty acknowledgement signs were installed last year marking the Treaty 4-Treaty 6 Boundary along Highway 11 between Saskatoon and Regina.
