Working Together: A Conversation About Our City’s Name

Hello friends and neighbours in Powell River, qathet and Tla’amin,

The possible name change for the City of Powell River has sparked one of the most passionate conversations our community has had in many years.

I attended one of the Possible Name Change open-mic sessions in 2022 and was struck by something that has stayed with me. The room was packed. People came because they cared deeply about this place, its history and its future.

At times, the conversation was uncomfortable. There was anger, hurt and disagreement. There were also moments of understanding, curiosity and genuine connection.

And perhaps that is where important community conversations begin.

Since then, research from Robin Tremblay gives evidence that Powell River was named after Edward Powell, a cartographer, and not Israel Powell, the Superintendent of Indian Affairs.* This evidence should be added to the conversation.

Growth can be uncomfortable. Reconciliation can be uncomfortable. Democracy can be uncomfortable. Our challenge is not to avoid disagreement, but to learn how to disagree while continuing to respect one another and work toward a stronger community.

I hear strongly held views on all sides of this issue.

For Tla’amin people, the Powell name carries a painful history connected to Israel Powell and the colonial policies imposed on Indigenous peoples during his time as Superintendent of Indian Affairs.

I also hear from longtime Powell River residents who feel deeply connected to the name because it represents their families, their work, the mill, their neighbourhoods and generations of community history.

Those experiences do not have to cancel one another out.

Good leadership begins by making room for both truth and belonging.

One idea I believe deserves further exploration is parallel or dual naming.

Throughout British Columbia, we increasingly see Indigenous place names alongside names that residents have known for generations. Could there be a thoughtful approach here that acknowledges Tla’amin history and language while also recognizing the history and identity that generations of families associate with Powell River?

I don't pretend to know whether that is ultimately the right answer. Any Indigenous name that is added must come through respectful dialogue with Tla’amin Nation.  It is not ours simply to choose.

But I believe it is an idea worth discussing.

The word qathet speaks to working together. That principle should guide us regardless of what name our community ultimately carries.

Reconciliation requires forgiveness and truth.

We can acknowledge the harms of colonial policies without asking today's neighbours to carry personal guilt for actions they did not commit.

Instead, we can accept a shared responsibility for what happens next.

I believe residents should have a meaningful voice in any eventual decision about the name of their city.

The City's previous Joint Working Group identified referendum or assent voting as one possible tool for gauging public opinion, while also recommending that more education, reconciliation work and community engagement occur first.

I think that is a reasonable approach.

Before asking people to make a final decision, let's make sure we have done the work: listened to residents, listened to Tla’amin, understood our history, explored the possibilities and clearly explained the implications of each option.

Then let's find a democratic and respectful way of determining where our community wants to go.

Leadership should not begin by deciding the answer and convincing everyone else to accept it.

It should begin by bringing people together.

MOVING FORWARD, TOGETHER

To me, reconciliation is about building relationships grounded in truth, respect, responsibility and trust.

There are painful parts of our shared history that cannot, and should not, be erased. There are also generations of people, non-Indigenous and Indigenous, who have contributed to the beautiful place we call home today.

We cannot change the past.

We can decide how we treat one another as we write the next chapter.

If qathet means working together, then perhaps that is our challenge and our opportunity.

Let's listen to one another.

Let's learn from one another.

And then let's lead — together.

Henrietta Johnson


Listen. Learn. Lead.

Reference:

*Tremblay, Robin. (2024). The Name Matters – The Truth Matters: The Origins of the Naming of Powell River BC Canada. Independent research.