Content warning: This story discusses colonial history and its negative impacts on Indigenous people of Canada.

In upcoming Powell River City Council strategic planning meetings, Coun. Cindy Elliott looks forward to making decisions on recommendations from the Joint Working Group she participated in last year.

The group was set up following an official name change request to the municipality in May 2021 by the Tla'amin Nation Executive Council. Powell River currently carries the name of Dr. Israel Wood Powell, who was the first BC Superintendent of Indian Affairs and instrumental in the implementation of colonial practices and structures such as residential schools.

In spring 2022, the city staged a diverse community engagement campaign that included public education on regional colonial history and way for community members to express their opinion, ranging from open mic forums to letters and surveys. The Joint Working Group summarized the process and outcomes in a report, which was submitted to city council in July 2022. However, with upcoming municipal elections that fall, further work on the possible name change issue was deferred to early 2023.

The group's report gives 11 recommendations, which fall into the categories of community engagement, relationships and reconciliation, racism, and city name change. Elliott hopes that by early summer 2023, the city council will have clarified an action plan comprised of tasks and budgets to move the process forward.

Listen to the CKTZ News interview with Powell River Coun. Cindy Elliott below: