On National Indigenous Peoples Day, Ceal Tingley Park was renamed Lhtako Dene Park as part of a major initiative to restore Lhtako Dene and Southern Carrier culture to the City’s riverfronts. For the Lhtako, which means ‘where the waters meet,’ the entire confluence of the Quesnel and Fraser rivers and Baker Creek, is a significant cultural place and was the main Lhtako Dene settlement site for millennia prior to European settlement.
The renaming of the park is part of a two-year long Waterfront Cultural Interpretation Project that was developed as an outcome of the City’s overall Waterfront Development Plan. City staff and specialist consultants worked with the Lhtako Dene Nation’s Chief, Council, Elders and community members to ensure this project reflects the history and culture of the Lhtako Dene Nation.
The new park sign will welcome visitors to the Territory of the Lhtako Dene Nation. The sign will be situated between two Lhtako Dene Nation flags. The welcome sign and a dipnet and sockeye salmon sculpture will be the main features at the park entrance. Many other features will be added as the project develops. Lhtako Dene Park is also the planned location for the Lhtako Dene Cultural Centre project when grant funding becomes available.
Chief/Council - Lhtako Dene Nation stated:
This project brings the Lhtako people back to the home of our ancestors and creates spaces where people will gather, learn, teach, meet and build community. Traditional ways of life were practiced here for thousands of years and carry on today.
While Bob Simpson, Mayor of the City of Quesnel commented:
Renaming this park continues Quesnel Council’s commitment to recognizing Lhtako Dene Nation’s traditional territory, millennia-long history, and continued cultural presence throughout the Quesnel area. Through significant consultation with the Lhtako Dene Nation, this project will tell their story from their perspective
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