Placenaming and renaming can play a key role in helping to advance the goals of reconciliation – and today’s announcement is especially exciting given the prominence of these two important public spaces.

You can read the City’s media release below, and find audio-clips and pronunciation guides on the City’s website.

Media Release

In historic move, two high-profile public plazas given Indigenous names

At a special ceremony today it was announced that new, Indigenous names have been given to the Vancouver Art Gallery north plaza and to the space formerly known as the Queen Elizabeth Theatre Plaza.

At the direction of Vancouver City Council, and as part of its ongoing commitments as a City of Reconciliation, the City worked with representatives of Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh to find appropriate names for the two plazas.

Leading the naming ceremony was Ray Harris, a member of the Stz’uminus First Nation and former elected chief, who has been instrumental in organizing Coast Salish Gatherings and the formation of the Coast Salish Council, which focuses on environmental and resource health in the region.

The witnesses for the ceremony included Howard Grant, representing Musqueam, Khelsilem from Squamish, Gabriel George from Tsleil-Waututh, and Chief Robert Joseph representing Reconciliation Canada.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson was joined at the event by the Honourable Jinny Sims, the provincial Minister of Citizens’ Services, City Manager Sadhu Johnston, Sandra Singh, the City’s General Manager of Arts, Culture and Community Services, Wendy Soobis, representing the Vancouver Civic Theatres Board and Kathleen Bartels, Director of the Vancouver Art Gallery.

“Our government, like the City, is deeply committed to meaningful reconciliation with Indigenous peoples in British Columbia,” said Sims. “Renaming these plazas will help ensure these three local Nations have a prominent presence in the downtown area, which is in the heart of their traditional territory.”

“Vancouver is committed to a new partnership with Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh that’s based on mutual understanding and respect, and on caring for these lands and waters” said Robertson. “The living legacy of Coast Salish Peoples is always with us and today is an opportunity to acknowledge this legacy by naming two of Vancouver’s landmark public spaces.”

The new name for the plaza adjacent to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre is šxʷƛ̓exən Xwtl’a7shn, which refers to a place one is invited to, and a place one is invited to celebrate, and is connected to the past use of the plaza as a gathering place for the Walk for Reconciliation.

The new name for the plaza on the north side of the Vancouver Art Gallery is šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square, which refers to a place where a cultural gathering occurs such as a wedding, funeral, naming, honouring, or coming of age ceremony.

City staff are currently collaborating with Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh on signage design for each of the plazas, with the signage expected to be installed sometime in the fall.

A joint naming committee consisting of representatives of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh and the City of Vancouver collaborated to recommend the two plaza names, each using both hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, the language of Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh, and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, the language of the Squamish Nation.

The Queen Elizabeth Theatre falls under the jurisdiction of Vancouver Civic Theatres and the City of Vancouver. The plaza adjacent to the art gallery is leased to the City by the Province, which also leases the building to the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Visit the City’s web site for audio and video pronunciation guides for the new plaza names.

This past week, City Council passed an important motion that we wanted to share with you. It relates to the (re)naming of both the plaza next to Queen Elizabeth Theatre (usually referred to as QE Plaza) and the recently redesigned North Plaza at the Art Gallery, (which, in addition to “the North Plaza” has had a few other names over the years, including Centennial Plaza, and Old Courthouse Square).

Naming and renaming are powerful symbolic acts that can play a role in strengthening the goals of reconciliation between settler and First Nations cultures. Vancouver is not alone here. Whether retitling streets or buildings previously named for proponents of racist policy (Ottawa), supplementing colonial place names with their indigenous parallels (Toront0), or adding indigenous place-based symbols to city flags, municipalities (and other levels of government) across the country are taking a step forward. These are pivotal gestures – part of many such acts that will need to take place over the next few years and decades.

The Vancouver Council motion, approved unanimously, calls on the City to work with Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations, and other partners (including Civic Theatres, and the Province of BC) to explore indigenous naming opportunities and other forms of commemoration. With a landscape of First Nations place names that was largely overwritten by successive waves of colonial settlement, the opportunity to re-introduce these indigenous names as part of reconciliation is timely and important. The VPSN commends the City for this important step.

Meanwhile, the Park Board will reconvene on October 11 to consider a similar motion around Siwash Rock – the Chinook and French etymology of which ties it to the English “savage.” You can read more about this motion, and share your thoughts with Park Board Commissioners here.

Poster for the City’s “Block 51” Events & Consultation

The City of Vancouver has just announced two events related to the potential expansion of Robson Square and the future of the north end of the Art Gallery. Both events are coming up next week (October 15 and October 17). They’re free, but you’ll need to register to attend. Act now, as seats are expected to go fast!

The events look at the past and future of the city’s “Block 51” – the parcel of land bounded by Robson, Howe, Georgia and Hornby. The focus of both will be on the important open-space areas to the north and south of the Art Gallery – and the opportunities for their potential enhancement.

At the south end, the popular 800-block of Robson Street has been temporarily closed for several months now, and the City is studying the possibility of improving this gathering area by keeping the street permanently closed to vehicles.

At the same time the City is also looking at potential design improvements to the north side of the Art Gallery site (variously known as Old Courthouse Square, or Centennial Square). Structural repairs need to be made to protect the underground Art Gallery facilities – and this presents an opportunity for other upgrades to the space.

While the VPSN’s attentions have been mainly focused on the closure of the 800-block of Robson, we’re also deeply interested in the future of the north end of the gallery. Both sites have played an extraordinary role in the city’s public life and we’re excited to see what comes out of these two events and the larger consultation.

Here are the details:

Monday, October 15 – A Look Back
Vancouver Art Gallery, 7:00-10:00 p.m.
750 Hornby Street 

The 1973 National Film Board film “Chairs for Lovers” and a panel with members of the original team for Robson Square will set the context of how this block came to be.

:: Register for “A Look Back”

Wednesday, October 17 – A Look Forward
Vancouver Art Gallery, 7:00-10:00 p.m.
750 Hornby Street

Short and inspirational presentations will look at how this block has been used over the last few years and draw on inspiration from other cities.

:: Register for “A look forward”

Both events will include an illustrated brainstorming exercise that will collect ideas on what type of future uses are desired in each site.

:: For more information– City of Vancouver – Block 51 webpage

Related News

Our good friends at Vancouver Is Awesome just wrote a great letter in support of the permanent closure of the 800-block of Robson. You can check it out here. Thanks for your support VIA!

Why not write your own letter? Send your thoughts and ideas on the future of the 800-block of Robson Street, the north-end of the Art Gallery, (or both), to Mayor Gregor Robertson and members of Council – at mayorandcouncil [at] vancouver [dot] ca.

If you like the Twitter approach, consider following the discussion through that forum. The hashtag is #block51.