The Powell River Regional Hospital District sought public feedback regarding changing the name of the Powell River Regional Hospital District to the qathet Regional Hospital District. At the March 30, 2022 Powell River Regional Hospital District Meeting, the Regional Hospital Board passed a motion to move forward with soliciting public feedback through legislated public notice and additional advertising and to conduct stakeholder consultation through correspondence.

Public feedback was accepted until June 15, 2022. Staff are awaiting a decision from the Ministry of Health regarding the proposed name change.

For more information regarding this initiative, please view the project background.

The Powell River Regional Hospital District was incorporated by letters patent pursuant to the Regional Hospital District Act on December 19, 1967 and the Regional Hospital District Act provides that the Lieutenant-Governor in Council may amend the letters patent of a regional hospital district in order to change the name.

On September 23, 2021, the Powell River Regional Hospital District Board passed a motion to investigate the possibility of changing the name of the Regional Hospital District to something that more appropriately reflects the qathet Region and the Tla’amin Nation and asked staff to write to Tla’amin Nation requesting naming suggestions.

At the January 27, 2022 Powell River Regional Hospital District Board Meeting, the Regional Hospital District Board Board received a correspondence from Tla’amin Nation requesting that the Regional Hospital District Board consider the name of ‘qathet’ for the Regional Hospital District.

At the same meeting, the Powell River Regional Hospital District Board received correspondence from Peter Pokorny, Associate Deputy Minister with the Ministry of Health, stating that the Regional Hospital District needs to establish a rationale for changing its name, provide opportunities for public engagement, consult with key actors including First Nations, and then submit a request for the name change and the result of consultations, to the Minister for review.

At the March 10, 2022 Regional Hospital District Committee of the Whole Meeting, staff presented the Regional Hospital Board with a comprehensive report regarding the available engagement options for this project.

At the March 30, 2022 Powell River Regional Hospital District Meeting, the Regional Hospital Board passed a motion to move forward with soliciting public feedback through legislated public notice and additional advertising and conducting stakeholder consultation through correspondence.

Advertisements requesting public feedback regarding the potential name change were distributed and published in local May publications including the Powell River Peak, Parksville Qualicum Beach News, qathet Living, Texada Island Express Lines and on Lasqueti.ca.

Letters were sent to key actors including the PRRHD’s member municipality, the City of Powell River as well as neighbouring communities, First Nations, Vancouver Coastal Health and provincial and federal elected officials and ministries.