North Cowichan to retire coat of arms as step towards reconciliation
The Municipality of North Cowichan, B.C. is scrapping its coat of arms, which depicts a white logger and pioneer woman with a Latin motto meaning "no stepping back."
North Cowichan Acting Deputy Mayor Rosalie Sawrie says the logo does not reflect the region's full history.
"I think it's appropriate that it's 'sunsetted,' as they say," she told CTV News on Wednesday.
"It's just really important to not ignore the history that the coat of arms does represent, but also continue to acknowledge our non-colonial history as well," Sawrie said.
The coat of arms is not used often, but it can be found on the side of North Cowichan's Municipal Hall and on some documents.
"We do have priorities around inclusion, reconciliation, building relationships with our Indigenous neighbours, and I don't think our coat of arms really reflects that," said Sawrie.
Cowichan Tribes councillor Stephanie Atleo says she appreciates the gesture.
"It's amazing that North Cowichan is actually taking a step forward and telling the province, 'This is what we're doing. This is reconciliation to us,'" said Atleo.
Other Vancouver Island residents are also re-examining government symbols, and what they represent.
Kwakwaka'wakw artist Lou-ann Neel recently designed a flag of British Columbia that retains the original look while adding First Nations elements.
Kwakwaka'wakw artist Lou-ann Neel's reimagining of the British Columbia flag is shown: (CTV News)
"I see myself represented in it," Neel says of the design. "I see my own people represented in it and that felt really good."
"These are very important markers where we can, as citizens, weigh in and share what we believe our country should represent, and how we want to express that visually through art," she said.
In the short term, North Cowichan is set to remove its coat of arms from old signage, and it will stop using the design moving forward.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE UPDATES Uncontained L.A. wildfires are still burning. Here's the latest as firefighters battle the flames
A series of wildfires are tearing through densely populated parts of the Los Angeles, Calif. area. Five people have been reported dead. About 130,000 have been asked to evacuate. Nearly 2,000 homes and other buildings have been destroyed after the fires charred about 108 square kilometres.
'True when I said it, true today': former Canadian PM Harper pushes back against Trump on social media
Former prime minister Stephen Harper doesn’t find U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s jibes about Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state very amusing.
NEW Tipping guide to Canada: When, where and how much to tip for restaurants, taxis and more
CTVNews.ca has created an entirely unofficial guide to tipping in Canada to help visitors, newcomers and curious Canadians navigate the shifting social norms of when, where and how much to tip.
Can the U.S. really make Canada the 51st state?
Talk of Canada becoming the 51st American state has raised an existential question on this side of the border: Could it be done? Could the maple leaf make way to the stars and stripes? According to several experts, it may be possible, but not painless.
Cape Breton police ask for public's help in finding Justin MacDonald's remains
Police in Cape Breton are asking for the public’s help in finding the remains of a missing man they believe was murdered.
'This isn't just my mom's story,' says daughter of woman allegedly killed by partner
Abigail Robson says she moved from Nova Scotia to Alberta as a young girl with her mother 10 years ago for a fresh start.
Manitoba police chief believed dead following house fire
The remains of Manitoba First Nation Police Service’s (MFNPS) leader are believed to have been found following a fire at his home.
U.S. says it has no plans to increase military presence in Greenland
The United States has no current plans to increase its military presence in Greenland, the U.S. embassy in Copenhagen said on Thursday, after President-elect Donald Trump expressed renewed interest in acquiring the vast Arctic island.
New York's highest appeals court declines to block Trump's sentencing in hush money case
New York's highest court declined to block Donald Trump's upcoming sentencing in his hush money case Thursday, leaving the U.S. Supreme Court as the U.S. president-elect's likely last option to prevent the hearing from taking place Friday.