Prince Albert’s executive committee will receive an update Tuesday on Passage Home, a memorial sculpture and healing park taking shape along River Street near the Sisters in Spirit monument.
The project, led by Saulteaux Gordon First Nation artist Mary Longman, is dedicated to Indigenous children who died away from home in residential schools, day schools, and the Sixties Scoop, and to the survivors and families who continue to heal.
The sculpture, based on the form of a traditional travois carrier once pulled by dogs and horses on the Plains, will rest on a boulder facing the North Saskatchewan River. The surrounding park includes winding brick pathways, custom benches with the phrase “Give children roots, love, and wings,” sage plantings, and maple trees.
Coun. Daniel Brown said the project offers a tangible step toward reconciliation.
“It’s a chance to show real recognition of what happened and that it should never have happened,” he said. “Putting something people can use is better than just talk.”
Brown added that Tuesday’s meeting will give councillors a chance to press for details.
“I think there’ll be some good debate. Executive is the right place to ask questions and get a clearer understanding before it goes to a council vote,” he said.
Brown said he had heard the project carries a “hefty price tag” and expects councillors will press administration for more details when the update comes forward Tuesday.
Jesse Campbell, interim artistic director at the Mann Art Gallery, called Passage Home a milestone in both cultural and artistic terms.
“This is a significant project for our city, our region, and even our province,” Campbell said. “It’s important for education, reconciliation, healing, and remembering. It offers a physical place for families and communities to gather.”
She noted the location’s proximity to the Sisters in Spirit monument, saying the two sites together create a stretch of riverbank that can serve as a walk of commemoration and reflection.
Campbell also highlighted the sculptor’s innovative construction.
“To our knowledge, Passage Home is the first bronze sculpture in Canada made using 3D-printing processes,” she said, adding that installation is anticipated for next spring, with June as a possible target if timelines hold.
City administration reports the third phase of the project, 3D printing and bronze casting, is underway. Earlier phases included design work and construction of the healing park.
The Executive Committee meets Tuesday at 4 p.m. in the council chambers on the second floor of City Hall.
