Tofino council is unanimously backing the idea of changing the name of Mackenzie Beach to Tinwis — its Indigenous name.
“Tinwis” means “calm waters” in the language of the local Tla-o-qui-aht Nation, which combines “tin” meaning “calm” and “wis” meaning “beach.”
An online petition calling for the change has garnered more than 2,000 signatures.
Tla-o-qui-aht natural-resources manager Saya Masso said he is “ecstatic” about council’s backing. “I’m anxious to put wheels on the ground on this,” he said. “We look forward to our next steps in collaboration with Tofino.”
He said the First Nation will now apply to the province’s Geographical Names Office, which typically seeks comment from affected municipalities, regional districts and First Nations.
The comments are usually collected over nine months to a year.
The Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport said in a statement that restoring Indigenous place names is part of the government’s commitment to truth and reconciliation.
Place names reflect an area’s “cultural history and heritage values,” the ministry said.
Masso said the response to the petition shows that people see the value of Indigenous names, and that a change to Tinwis “is going to mean a lot to everybody that comes here.”
He said the Tla-o-qui-aht nation has other name changes in mind for area sites, and pointed to the Indigenous name for Kennedy Lake — Haa’uukmin, which means “feast bowl.”
Tofino Coun. Tom Stere, who is the current acting mayor, said council has a strong relationship with the Tla-o-qui-aht and works closely with the nation on a number of initiatives, holding regular council-to-council meetings.
Masso said the nation has operated the Tin Wis Best Western resort at Mackenzie beach since the 1980s on the site where a residential school used to stand.
Mackenzie Beach is named for Donald Mackenzie, who became an area lighthouse keeper in the mid-1920s and went on to buy 400 metres of the beach’s shoreline in 1929 for $250.
