For this newsletter, I’m sharing a story by our intern, Noelle Suzuki, who took a look at the Town of Ladysmith’s first-ever accessibility plan. Residents can provide feedback on the draft plan until Oct. 29 through the town’s public engagement website. You can find that story here.
Also, in case you missed it, this week we published a story that takes a deep dive into the recent Cowichan Tribes v. Canada decision, which you can find here.
One aspect of my research for that story which I found fascinating, but didn’t quite have room for, was my conversation with anthropologist Brian Thom about the immense power British surveyors held when they divided up the lands of the Cowichan Valley and beyond. The parcels they drew had long-term, cascading effects on how people viewed and related to the land — and on who could use it.
It reminded me of a story by historian Kelly Black about how the echoes of colonization are still felt today through the names of places throughout the Cowichan Valley. You can find that story here.
Another one of Kelly’s stories that I revisited recently explores the Cowichan Valley’s road system — how its winding paths reflect the transformation the land underwent through colonization and the conversion of Cowichan Tribes, Halalt, Lyackson, Ts’uubaa-asatx, Penelakut, and Malahat territories into agricultural land.
Whether through lines on a map, place names, or the roads we drive on, these stories are powerful reminders of how deeply colonization continues to shape our lives, often without us realizing it.
And on a final note, I wanted to highlight that on Nov. 2, The Discourse is hosting an event in Nanaimo! It’s a bit of a drive for most folks in the Valley, but if you happen to be up Island that day, stop in to say hi and hear from award-winning reporter and Discourse alum Julie Chadwick.
Have a great weekend!
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