The province is proposing to change the name of three provincial parks, including Brooks Peninsula Park on northwest Vancouver Island. The new name would be Mquqwin/Brooks Peninsula Park. Mquqwin means “The Queen” in the Nuu-Chah-Nulth language. Photo courtesy B.C. Parks.
Three provincial parks could be seeing name changes, including Brooks Peninsula Park on northwest Vancouver Island.
If NDP government legislative amendments pass, Brooks Peninsula Park would be named Mquqwin/Brooks Peninsula Park.
The meaning of the word Mquqwin (mook-queen) is “The Queen” in the Nuu-Chah-Nulth language.
Brooks Peninsula Park would be changed to Mquqwin/Brooks Peninsula Park if legislative amendments introduced are passed. The park is located on northwest Vancouver Island.
The name was originally intended in July 2009 when an agreement was reached between the province and local First Nations to rename the park, which also lies within the boundaries of the Quatsino First Nation.
The park was established in December 1986 and is almost 40,000 hectares in size.
B.C. Parks says the peninsula is distinct as being the only part of Vancouver Island unaffected by the last ice age and home to a variety of rare plants and unique geologic formations.
The province says the area is significant to these First Nations because of traditional hunting and fishing grounds.
The new names celebrate Indigenous connection with the history and culture of the parks and are part of reconciliation efforts.
The province also plans to change Boya Lake Park near the Yukon border to Ta Ch’ila Park at the request of the Kaska Dena First Nation, meaning “holes in a blanket”.
The Shuswap’s Roderick Haig-Brown Park will be renamed Tsutswecw Park meaning “many fish”, a traditional Secwepemc name.
CHEK News
