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,WELEW̱ School.

ȽÁU,WELEW̱ / 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,WELEW̱.

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

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

FORSETH -- Focus on the nine things I mentioned. That’s what will allow the Conservative Party to win the next election

IMAGE CREDIT:   Darryl Dyck, the Canadian Press. I thought I had already made up my mind who I would be ranking on my ballot, in the Conservative Party of BC leadership race; now I am not so sure.  That means that, at least for me, and perhaps many others, it’s a good thing voting hasn’t already taken place. There were initially only one or two of the candidates that I thought might be a little too right of centre for my liking, now it seems that list is growing. I consider myself more closely aligned with what used to be called a Progressive Conservative, regardless, I feel more than comfortable within the Conservative Party of BC.  Some, however, in messages to me on my political Facebook page, have been rather, shall we say, a bit mean-spirited in comments they’ve made about my ‘purity’ as a conservative. To tell you the truth, I really don’t care! Some leadership candidates, in comments made online, have also been raising the issue of who is a pure enough conservati...

WARD STAMER -- Those are REAL forestry numbers, not just made-up numbers

The following is a condensed version of remarks Kamloops – North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer’s made, regarding Forestry, in the BC Legislature, on Tuesday afternoon (02/24/2026)   Let’s talk a little bit, when we talk about Budget 2026, about the forest industry, which is near and dear to my heart. Forestry remains one of British Columbia’s foundational industries. It’s a pillar that built this province. Entire communities depend upon it. Interior towns, northern communities, Vancouver Island regions, the Kootenays, the Lower Mainland, with manufacturing facilities in Surrey and Maple Ridge, just to name a few — everywhere in BC is touched by forestry. One word that was not mentioned in Budget 2026 was forestry. That’s a shame, an incredible shame. It wasn’t an oversight – it was intentional. This government has driven forestry into the ground .... INTO THE GROUND! We can talk a little bit about some of the initiatives that this government has brought forth, to try to resurrect ...

Your government has a gambling problem (Troy Media)

Provinces call it “revenue,” but it looks a lot like exploitation of the marginalized The odds of winning Lotto Max are about 1 in 33 million. You’re statistically more likely to be struck by lightning than to win it. But your government is betting that statistics won’t hold you back; they’re counting on it. Across Canada, provincial governments not only regulate gambling, they also maintain a monopoly on lottery and gaming by owning and operating the entire legal market. That means every scratch card is government-issued, gambling odds are government-set, casino ads are government-funded and lottery billboards are government-paid. And these are not incidental government activities. They generate significant revenues that governments have powerful incentives to expand, not constrain. It would be one thing for our governments to encourage us to engage in healthy activities. We can quibble about whether the government should be trying to convince us to be more active or eat more vegetabl...

Labels

Show more