Port Hardy council votes to help strengthen Indigenous relationships

At its June 28 meeting, Port Hardy council was busy putting in work to strengthen Indigenous relationships inside the Regional District of Mount Waddington.

First on the agenda, Coun. Janet Dorward made a motion for the District of Port Hardy to send a congratulatory letter to ‘Namgis Chief Bill Cramner for earning a 2022 British Columbia Reconciliation Award. Councillor Pat Corbett-Labatt seconded the motion and it was approved by council.

After that, council voted in favour of creating a cultural sensitivity training policy for district staff and council, which volunteers and contractors of the district would also have to follow, and the Regional District of Mount Waddington and neighbouring communities would be offered the opportunity to participate.

Finally, council voted in favour of providing information to the Regional District of Mount Waddington about changing its name. Council felt it was pertinent to do so due to the negative role of Alfred Waddington, Regional District of Mount Waddington namesake, in the Chilcotin War and the impact it had on Indigenous peoples in British Columbia, adding that by going through the “qathet Regional District” renaming process, this would support reconciliation with Indigenous Nations whose territories are within the jurisdictional boundaries of the regional district.