The carved sign on the summit of Mount Douglas, reclaiming the traditional First Nations name Pkols, will stay in place for now.
Saanich Mayor Frank Leonard said Thursday that First Nations did not ask permission to erect the sign and no one has yet worked out the process for either changing the name or dealing with the sign.
“It’s too soon to know what we’re going to do with it,” he said. “Our staff did ask them to put it somewhere it wouldn’t go through an electrical line.”
A letter emailed to the mayor and Saanich council Wednesday said an application for a name change had been made to the province, Leonard said.
The letter, signed by Tsawout hereditary chief Eric Pelkey, said the aim is to replace the colonial name of Mount Douglas.
“Alongside this application to the provincial government, we would like to enter into discussions with your council and parks department to determine a respectful and culturally appropriate name for the municipal park located in the vicinity of the mountain,” the letter says.
Leonard said the province has worked with aboriginal groups previously to recognize traditional names.
“But this was a unilateral act by this group of people, so that’s different,” he said.
A statement from the Forests Ministry said the provincial Geographical Names Unit would be responsible for renaming the mountain and a request was received Wednesday.
“The mountain and the name Pkols are significant to the Saanich Nations and the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations, and that would be given due consideration in any decision to rename it,” it said.
Provincial guidelines for geographical naming say proposals are checked for other local or unofficial names.
“If a well-established local name is determined to exist, a new name will not be approved,” it says.
The investigation includes gathering comments from groups ranging from local historians to conservation officers.
However, if the geographical feature is on treaty settlement lands, it will be referred only to the First Nation.
