I attended the council meeting to see the debate about changing the name of Fort George Park.
I expected it to be controversial, the most significant issue of this decade. I listened to the reasons for the change - it is the right thing to do, the people of Calgary will watch us, it will help smooth relationships between the people of Prince George and the Lheidli T'enneh.
The first appears to be prompted by the rumour that they burned the village and forced the people to move.
In 1910 several groups offered to buy the Indian reserve of Fort George. The Grand Trunk Rail Co. was the successful bidder. They bought the land, buildings and cemetery.
It appears that they returned the cemetery to the Federal Indian Affairs Department. There was approximately 100 people in the village at the time. No notice to evacuate was ever given. The people stayed until the spring of 1914.
The village council with the advice of Father Coccola decided to move to Shelley and a site nine kilometres up the Nechako on the north side. The government of B.C. approved of the move and paid for new houses, etc.
The buildings at Fort George were old and of no value so they were burned for safety reasons.
As for the desecration of the graves in the Fort George cemetery, the cemetery belongs to the Indian Affairs Department of the Federal Government, not the people of Shelley. City of Prince George, mind your own business. The federal government is more experienced and capable of handling Indian reserve issues.
They don't want you to be a big help. If they want to change the focus of or name of this cemetery, I think they are capable of doing that without your help.
I don't care if the people of Calgary watch, but I would like a reasoned debate with understandable reasons.
It will ease racial conflict. How many negative comments have you had? If you would care to comment on my views or offer other reasons for the name change I would like to hear from you.
Allan Lund
Prince George
