A New Name, A Lasting Memory
Ottawa's east end marked a solemn and significant moment this week as a park in the Vanier neighbourhood was officially named Mary Papatsie Park — a tribute to a local Inuk woman whose disappearance and death left a lasting mark on the community.
The unveiling ceremony took place on Tuesday, bringing together residents, community advocates, and those who knew or fought for Mary Papatsie, whose story became a painful reminder of the vulnerability faced by Indigenous women in Canada.
Who Was Mary Papatsie?
Mary Papatsie was an Inuk woman who lived in Ottawa's Vanier neighbourhood and was reported missing in 2017. For years, her fate remained unknown — a wound that her family, friends, and Indigenous advocates carried through the long uncertainty of an unsolved disappearance.
In 2022, that uncertainty came to a heartbreaking end when her remains were discovered at a construction site located near the very park that now bears her name. The discovery brought grief, but also renewed calls for action and recognition for Indigenous women who go missing or are killed — a national crisis that Ottawa's own communities know all too well.
What the Naming Means
Naming a public park after Mary Papatsie is more than a gesture. In Vanier — a neighbourhood with deep working-class roots and a significant Indigenous population — it's a statement that her life mattered, that she belonged to this community, and that she will not be forgotten.
Public spaces carry memory. Parks are where children play, where families gather, where neighbours cross paths every day. By giving this green space her name, the city of Ottawa has ensured that Mary Papatsie's story remains visible and present in the neighbourhood she called home.
Advocates for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people (MMIWG2S) have long pushed for tangible acts of remembrance like this one — recognition that goes beyond reports and commissions and lands somewhere people can actually stand and reflect.
Vanier's Connection
Vanier has historically been one of Ottawa's most diverse and complex neighbourhoods — a place of tight-knit community bonds and, at times, concentrated social challenges. It has also been home to many Indigenous residents who have built lives and community there far from northern home territories.
The park naming fits into a broader effort by Ottawa to acknowledge Indigenous histories and lives within the city's geography — an effort that still has a long way to go, but that moments like Tuesday's ceremony help advance.
A Community Gathers
The official unveiling brought people together in a shared act of recognition. For those who knew Mary, or who have loved ones affected by the MMIWG2S crisis, ceremonies like this carry weight that no plaque or park sign can fully capture — but they matter nonetheless.
Mary Papatsie Park now stands in Vanier as a permanent reminder: of a life lived, of a community's grief, and of the ongoing work to ensure Indigenous women are seen, valued, and never forgotten.
Source: CBC Ottawa
