Sechelt council is expected to vote this week to support the proposed name changes for the community of Wilson Creek and the creek that runs through it.
Renaming Wilson Creek to ts'uḵw'um is one of a series of formal name changes the province’s Geographical Names office is considering at the request of the shíshálh Nation as part of a commitment in the Foundation Agreement between the province and the Nation.
Highway signs with shíshálh names for several communities have already been installed along Highway 101, but the names office has yet to make a decision on the requests for the official name changes in Wilson Creek or for Madeira Park and Saltery Bay.
Council signalled in mid-July that it was ready to support the name change but wanted to offer the Wilson Creek-Davis Bay-Selma Park community association and area businesses an opportunity to have some input.
Council also wanted to have a meeting with the shíshálh Nation chief and council before finalizing a letter of support.
In a report to council for its Nov. 18 regular meeting, communications manager Julie Rogers says the council-to-council meeting was held Oct. 21 and that the community association wrote to confirm that it had already passed a motion supporting the name change earlier this year.
Rogers’ written report doesn’t indicate how many businesses responded to the district’s letter about the name change or what those responses said.
In the letter, and a series of ads, the district said, “This project is important to the shíshálh Nation to protect and promote shíshálh culture, language, and history across the shíshálh swiya and the District of Sechelt Council is pleased to support it.”
The names office is also awaiting input from the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) on renaming proposals for Madeira Park and Saltery Bay.
SCRD directors voted in July to contact the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Ministry of Forests, which oversees the Geographical Names Office, to request a town hall meeting “in consultation with the SCRD,” and with shíshálh Nation, Pender Harbour and Area Residents Association, Pender Harbour and Egmont Chamber of Commerce, and Pender Harbour Rotary, “to discuss the proposed place name change for Madeira Park.”
There’s been no confirmation of whether the requested meeting will go ahead.
The names office has already extended its original deadline for comments from local governments to Dec. 31.
– with files from Sophie Woodrooffe
