The Capital Regional District has agreed to pay $180,000 for a First Nations re-burial ground in Beacon Hill Park.
Several CRD directors this week praised Victoria for the proposal negotiated with the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations that will create a special area in the park to be used to re-inter remains unearthed during construction associated with Seaterra sewage treatment program.
“I think it’s an outstanding recognition of the origins and interests of First Nations. I think it’s a very respectful, most appropriate and wise approach,” View Royal Mayor Graham Hill said.
Oak Bay Coun. John Herbert, who also commended Victoria, wondered if the site might be used to re-inter First Nations remains that are bound to be unearthed in other municipalities as the sewage treatment project proceeds.
“To me it makes a great deal of sense to have a single site and the various other municipalities can contribute to it,” Herbert said.
But Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin said that was unlikely and some other directors felt it would be inappropriate.
“All of our communities are the location of traditional burial grounds and village sites are everywhere in Greater Victoria. So I have a little bit of a discomfort about Beacon Hill becoming the one go-to spot, essentially something resembling a mass grave,” Victoria Coun. Ben Isitt said.
“If we were to think of how we manage and treat the remains of settler people, which I’m a part of, I think we would see quite a bit of push back from the public if we were to propose one mass burial ground, for example in the field at Beaver Lake. So I think we have to tread carefully.”
Fortin said from preliminary conversations with First Nations it was clear they would prefer to see this type of re-burial ground established in every community rather than at one big site.
“[This is] recognizing that we are probably going to find a lot of First Nations remains as we go through Beacon Hill Park. There’s a 1,000-year-old archeological site in Beacon Hill Park and it is the site of former Songhees and Esquimalt villages,” he said in an interview.
The proposed re-burial ground is to include the creation of two spirit poles by First Nations carvers, installation of split rail fencing and a gravel pathway to the site to be located in the cairn area on the southeast slope of Beacon Hill.
Operational costs of the re-burial ceremonies will come out of the Seaterra operations funding.
The funding was approved as part of the amenity package for upgrades and expansion of the Clover Point Pump Station.
Plans are for a new force main to run from the pump station along the south side of Dallas Road to Ogden Point, then under the Victoria Harbour via a marine crossing to the treatment plant planned for McLoughlin Point. The seaside walkway and the rock wall along the existing pump station will be extended to make room for the new, expanded station, which will be below ground.
Planned improvements as part of the project include: the First Nations reburial site; replacing the existing parking above the existing pump station with additional public space for pedestrians and cyclists; installation of benches, bike racks, a drinking water fountain and provisions for public washrooms; a new walkway from Clover Point Road to Moss Street crosswalk; a new walkway from Dallas Road alongside clover Point Road; a new walkway and bike path across Clover Point Road to the Ross Bay Seawalk; and reinstating the existing wheelchair ramp from Dallas Road to the Ross Bay Seawalk.
A bike path will be built over top of the new sewage pipe running along Dallas Road for three kilometres.
The Clover Point pump station, built in 1975 and owned by the CRD, is on public right of way but needs to be rezoned before the work can take place.
