Let’s get name-changing right in B.C.

The problem:

Hasty name changes in B.C. have led to community confusion, conflict and important historical legacies being tarnished. The current and potential damage done by these well-intentioned but ill-informed actions have shown a gap in local and provincial legislation to carry out due-process and justice for name-changing in our communities.

The impact:

The most recent controversy, that of the Lord Roberts Elementary School name-change in Vancouver, has resulted in misinformation about and false accusations of the school’s namesake and community.

As the Vancouver School Board proceeds on an ambitious renaming program, not all parties and communities are being consulted and instead are being left out and without a voice.

In its haste to make right past wrongs, the Vancouver School Board has already inadvertently named schools in Squamish territory with Musqueum names.

Following the school board’s example, other school boards, communities and municipalities are following in their steps of speedy name-changes while making harmful errors along the way.

What you can do:

It is clear the province lacks a formal process for conducting formal name-changes and, in the era of reconciliation, it is time to create one that does justice for all communities involved.

Now is the time to ensure that these important decisions go through a thorough and just process. We urge all British Columbians to consider signing the following petition so that they can live in a province they are proud of tomorrow:

I, the signatory, request that renaming or memorial removal decisions in British Columbia go through a thorough process to ensure the issues are fully understood and that all stakeholders have an opportunity to participate in that process. These include the following:

A respected, neutral historian lay out the issues and provide perspective.

Renamings of replacement buildings be considered renamings, not namings.

Alumni and all stakeholders be involved in the process.

The neighbourhood of the renaming/removal be involved in the process.

All First Nations that have a stake in the issue give their formal position.

The cost of the action should be clearly spelled out to all the stakeholders.

The cost of the action to citizens affected by the decision should be clearly spelled out.

We ask that we be kept informed about the status of the decision.