Mount Douglas Park will undergo a name restoration in 2023, as the District of Saanich continues its commitment to reconciliation and strengthening its relationship with neighbouring First Nations.
At an August 15th meeting, Saanich Council approved a request from the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council (WLC) to move forward with a name restoration for PKOLS (Mount Douglas Park).
PKOLS is the name of Mount Douglas in SENĆOŦEN and is an important place for the W̱SÁNEĆ people.
“PKOLS is an extremely important location in the history of the W̱SÁNEĆ Nation,” said Eric Pelkey, Community Engagement Coordinator for the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council and Elder from the Tsawout First Nation.
“It was created by XÁLS as the border between us and the Lekwungen people, and it was where we met with James Douglas in 1852 to discuss what became known as the Douglas Treaty. For these reasons, we, as W̱SÁNEĆ people, have a special relationship with PKOLS.”
The renaming of the park was outlined in the Council’s 2019-2023 Strategic Plan, recognizing the sacred significance of the location to the W̱SÁNEĆ people.
Saanich Council has the authority to name or rename a municipal park under its Park Naming Policy.
According to the district, Saanich staff will work with WLC staff to develop an appropriate protocol to honour the name restoration, with an information event to take place in 2023 and be shared on the District of Saanich website when available.
