2021 will indeed be a historic year for our region!
With the opening of the new bridge between Moncton and Riverview and the removal of the causeway, the Petitcodiac River is finally able to flow freely once again. There is a unique opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the success of the Petitcodiac River’s restoration as well as its history and cultural legacy through the naming of this new bridge.
Sentinelles Petitcodiac Riverkeeper (SPR) is pleased to announce that it has submitted a name for consideration to the New Brunswick Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure – “Pont Petigotiag Bridge” – for which it is now seeking public support.
Petigotiag (pronounced Peti-ko-tiak, similar to Petitcodiac) means “river that bends like a bow” in the Mi’kmaq language. In this spelling, used by Mi’kmaq communities in New Brunswick, the g’s are pronounced as k’s.
Important! Show your support for the name “Pont Petigotiag Bridge”
Place names are an important part of our culture and geographic environment. They play a vital role in people’s sense of well-being and connection to home and community.
Naming the new bridge “Pont Petigotiag Bridge” would be a meaningful and symbolic gesture in recognition of the history of the Petitcodiac River and the contributions of its tricultural communities – Acadian, Mi’kmaq and Anglophone – in reversing what was once the most endangered river in Canada to what is now the largest, and most successful, river restoration in the country.
Reconciliation and preservation of the ecological integrity of the shared land along the Petitcodiac River, and unceded Mi’kmaq territory, is a process that is increasingly and justifiably acknowledged in the public domain.
We encourage you to show your support for this name by submitting emails or letters to the New Brunswick Minister of Transportation and to the Minister of Tourism, Heritage, and Culture.
Media coverage
- April 22, 2021: CBC – Petitcodiac Riverkeeper group proposes name for new bridge between Moncton and Riverview
- April 23, 2021: Acadie Nouvelle – Moncton: Un nom mi’kmaq proposé pour le nouveau pont
- April 23, 2021: Times & Transcript – Riverkeeper ask for public support for bridge name
- May 3, 2021: 91.9 The Bend – Causeway Bridge Returning Natural Flow To Petitcodiac
- May 11, 2021: Radio Canada – Le Téléjournal Acadie – Petitcodiac: Les vannes du pont-jetée fermées pour toujours
- May 11, 2021: CBC – Water flowing under new Petitcodiac bridge an emotional sight for advocate
