The history behind late member of Parliament A.W. Neill came to a head at a Port Alberni City Council meeting this week as council defeated a motion to rename Neill Street in light of negative connotations from this historical figure’s past.
A subsequent motion, to assemble a report on what the city can do for reconciliation and involve the entire community, was a solid first step in the process, but we view turning down the Neill Street name change as a classic step backward.
We must ask why the city doesn’t already have a reconciliation plan in place, or at the very least in process. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) recommendations were released in 2015, more than a year ago, and have been widely discussed.
Is city council willing—or, in these cash-strapped times, able—to open its wallet and demonstrate a financial commitment to reconciliation, whether that be in the form of covering costs in any future renaming situation or something else?
If anything, this issue has provoked a conversation that was long overdue. It has also revealed the true colours of our community, and they are dark indeed—the racial undertones are not something to be proud of.
We fervently hope this conversation about reconciliation continues in a calm and reasoned manner. We will be looking to all councils—aboriginal and non-aboriginal—for leadership on this matter.
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