Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

ADAM OLSEN -- It's important that people know that the proposed change is an additive process, not a reductive one


I have received a few emails and phone calls into my office about Bill 16 and specifically the proposed name change at John Dean Provincial Park on the Saanich Peninsula.

As has been widely reported, Bill 16, which is currently working its way through the legislative process, is a response to grade 3 students at the ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱ School.

ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱ / John Dean Provincial Park
They actively lobbied me and Environment Minister George Heyman to change the name of the mountain back to its traditional SENĆOŦEN name, ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱.

I believe it's important that people know that the proposed change is an additive process, not a reductive one. The name ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱ will be added to John Dean's name on the provincial park so it will now be known as ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱ / John Dean Provincial Park.

I recognize the sensitivity of place names and monuments of our history. There are many emotions and feelings attached to the mountain. Throughout this process, it’s been my approach to embrace our diverse history and the opportunity to enrich our understanding of the place we live.

The beautiful park is home to the last remaining ancient trees on the Saanich Peninsula. They were saved from being cut down because John Dean set aside the land on the top of the mountain. As a result, we have a community asset to enjoy nature.

For a countless number of years, the mountain has been a sacred place for the W̱SÁNEĆ people and it carries a powerful story.

I’m thrilled that we have the opportunity to celebrate the history of this important place through an inclusive and collaborative process.


NOTE ... you can view the story published in the May 14th, 2019 edition of the Sooke News Mirror


Adam Olsen is the Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia for Saanich North and the Islands
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nurses Take Job Action After Years of NDP Neglect

Image Credit:  BC Nurses Union BC nurses have reached a breaking point after years of unsafe conditions, rising violence in the workplace and a government that wouldn’t listen. Now they are on the picket line fighting to be heard. Last week, nurses began job action with a 72-hour strike notice, refusing non-essential overtime and stepping back from non-nursing duties. As of Tuesday, they have escalated to picket lines for the first time in decades. This moment was avoidable. It is the result of years of unanswered concerns from the frontline workers who keep our hospitals running. Nurses have been raising the same concerns for years: unsafe staffing levels, rising violence on the job, and a workload no single person should have to carry. None of it is new, and none of it should have taken a strike vote to get the government's attention. "Nurses are exercising their legal right to job action, but it shouldn’t have had to come to this," said Kiel Giddens, MLA for...
Post a Comment
Read more

British Columbians Still Don’t Know Who’s Paying for NDP’s BC Hydro Deal

The NDP is making billion-dollar promises with BC Hydro, but British Columbians still don’t know who will pay the bill. Last week’s memorandum of understanding isn’t what the federal government and the NDP are making it out to be. It’s an admission that the NDP failed to make the long-term investments needed to keep B.C. powered. Now British Columbians have serious questions about the cost and whether BC Hydro ratepayers will end up paying the price. David L. Williams, MLA for Salmon Arm-Shuswap and Shadow Minister for BC Hydro and Electrical Energy Development , said British Columbians deserve clear answers about the full implications of the Canada–British Columbia Cooperative Prosperity Agreement. “British Columbians deserve the full truth,” said Mr. Williams. “This multi-billion-dollar announcement does not answer who pays for cost overruns, who pays for new generation, who carries the risk if industrial customers do not materialize, or whether ratepayers will be forced ...
Post a Comment
Read more

NDP Government Blames Everyone but Themselves

The federal government has announced new measures to support British Columbia's forestry sector, including $65 million in funding for projects across the province. While any support is welcome, it falls far short of the level of assistance other provinces have secured for key industries. Conservative Forests Critic Ward Stamer says the NDP government needs to take responsibility for its mismanagement of B.C.’s forest industry instead of trying to pass on the blame. Despite promising to create more jobs in the forest sector, the NDP government has overseen the loss of thousands of forestry jobs and 21 mill closures which have devastated communities. “If Premier Eby spent more time addressing the regulatory issues impacting the forestry sector than he did complaining about the federal government, we would not be in the position we are now,” said Stamer. “And instead of trying to place the blame for mill closures on Donald Trump, Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar should t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more