A lake about eight kilometres northwest of Sechelt known for years as Wormy Lake is now, officially, Phare Lake.
Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Nicholas Simons made the announcement in Sechelt April 28, shortly after the observance of the Day of Mourning for workers killed and injured on the job.
The name honours John Phare of Roberts Creek, who died while fighting the Old Sechelt Mine wildfire, which destroyed more than 400 hectares of forest in July 2015.
Many of Phare’s family joined Simons at Spirit Square, where the sculpture “Regeneration,” which was created using wood recovered from the fire site, stands.
The official notice of the name change from the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development said Phare was “widely respected along the Sunshine Coast for his work in the logging industry, his contributions to the community and his willingness to help friends and neighbours whenever he could.”
Phare was posthumously awarded the first-ever British Columbia Medal of Good Citizenship on Oct. 6, 2015. Community members adopted the name John Phare Lake informally and local trail builders posted a hand-carved sign in the area in early 2016.
During his brief remarks on Sunday, Simons said the overwhelming desire of the community to have the lake named after Phare, despite rules that geographic features cannot be named to commemorate victims of “mishaps, accidents or tragedies,” persuaded provincial officials to make an exception.
“This was so widely supported by everyone in our community that it seemed to the province that this was an appropriate thing to do to preserve the memory of John Phare,” Simons said.
Simons said while the District of Sechelt filed the formal request with the province, it was backed by the Sunshine Coast Regional District and shíshálh Nation, while letters of support also came from various community groups including the Sunshine Coast Conservation Association, the Sunshine Coast Trails Society and the Natural History Society.
Acting Sechelt mayor Alton Toth said, “When disaster struck Sechelt in the form of the largest fire we’ve ever seen in modern times, John was there right away, doing his part to help contain it, and to help avert catastrophe… Almost as soon as the fire was out, the community was looking for ways to honour John, and the sacrifice he made in keeping us safe.”
In a release issued following the announcement, Doug Donaldson, Minster of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, said, “John Phare was an experienced logger who used his skills to help protect British Columbians from wildfires. The naming of Phare Lake is a fitting tribute to his life and work, and the groundswell of support for this naming is a testament to his dedication and community spirit.”
Simons wrapped up his remarks at the naming announcement by saying, “I found out that it just takes us saying John Phare Lake for it to become the name of the lake,” before asking the 30 or so people in attendance to join together and say “John Phare Lake” out loud.
