
Indigenous language now included on Ucluelet bus stop signs — a first for B.C. Transit
Now, as the manager of language services for the Ucluelet First Nation's Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Government, Touchie has helped bring the language to the local transportation system.
Bus stop signs at all 36 B.C. Transit stops in Tofino, Ucluelet, Long Beach, hitaću, Esowista and Ty-histanis now include both English and Nuu-chah-nulth wording.
"As a language learner and as a language teacher, it means the world to me because it's a really great connection to our land and our home," Touchie told CBC's On The Island host Gregor Craigie.
B.C. Transit says this is the first time an Indigenous language has been included on its signs anywhere within its system, but it does plan to work with other communities to include local languages elsewhere.
Government relations manager Seth Wright said B.C. Transit was inspired to include the Nuu-chah-nulth language on signs after seeing Parks Canada do the same.
"We thought that including Nuu-chah-nulth on all bus stop signs was the right thing to do and supported our respective work towards reconciliation," Wright said.
So, they reached out to the Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Government and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation for expertise, to try to figure out what words would be appropriate to use.
The names on the signs were created with both Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ and Tla-o-qui-aht dialects in mind, Touchie said.
"It's a working collaboration with our neighbouring nations."
The Nuu-chah-nulth on local signs isn't new to the community; the District of Ucluelet started putting both Nuu-chah-nulth and English on its signs in 2022.
"Ucluelet is very ahead of the times, I would say, because they're trying to incorporate language within the community, and we've been incorporating signs here within our small community of Ittatsoo," Touchie said. "It's been really great to see language kind of blossom and flourish."
She said keeping the local language alive in the community helps both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people understand the history of the Nuu-chah-nulth people.
"Each nation, they've all been there since time immemorial," Touchie said. "But there's, I think, a lack of understanding of what that means for particularly nations that have been there a long time. It's just a really great opportunity to raise those questions and to better understand the nations that surround the communities."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CTV News
9 hours ago
- CTV News
‘A commitment to truth': Siksika Nation artist Adrian Stimson to design Calgary residential school memorial
Multidisciplinary artist Adrian Stimson has been selected to create the design concept for Calgary's future Indian Residential School Memorial. The city announced Thursday that an independent jury made up of Indigenous members including Elders and other technical experts, chose Stimson's concept The Wandering Spirit, saying it best aligns with competition criteria, including cultural and community values, and honours the vision for the site. The memorial will be built at The Confluence Historic Site and Parkland, described in a media release as 'a space of historical acknowledgment, ceremony, and healing. It's also intended as a lasting place for reflection, dialogue, and connection.' 'This memorial represents a commitment to truth, acting as a place of remembrance, and a call to action. It will stand as a permanent reminder of the children who never returned home, the survivors who carry deep scars, and the families and communities who continue to live with the intergenerational impacts of the residential school system,' said Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek. Wandering Spirit, July 24, 2025 The Wandering Spirit was presented by Ground3 Inc. (groundedcubed) and Adrian Stimson. (City of Calgary) 'I'm grateful to the Elders, survivors, and Indigenous leaders who have shaped this vision from the beginning. Their voices, teachings, and strength have guided this process — and will continue to guide us on the path of reconciliation. Through this memorial, we honour the past while also building a future grounded in respect, understanding, and shared healing.' The significance of the memorial is tied to its location and the shared history it represents, the city said in a release. 'The Confluence has long been a place of connection and cultural meetings. This memorial will add another layer of meaning to that space, connecting past and present so that all Calgarians can come together to learn and heal,' said Ward 7 Coun. Terry Wong. 'It will help us recognize the complex history of this land, while creating a shared space that invites reflection and understanding for generations to come.' The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland. (Facebook/TheConfluenceHistoricSite) Guided by Indigenous communities The memorial project has been Indigenous-led from the beginning, with members of Indigenous communities taking the lead in shaping its vision. 'We are honoured to unveil a concept that reflects the voices of survivors, Elders, and community members,' said Harold Horsefall, an Indigenous strategist at the city's Indigenous Relations Office. 'Every step of this process has centred Indigenous leadership and cultural teachings.' The process started in fall 2024 with a request for pre-qualification, moving to a request for proposals which led to four Indigenous-led teams being shortlisted to submit final concepts. Each submission reflected four shared pillars: healing, ceremony, truth and acknowledgement and was shaped by public feedback, as well as guidance from the IRSM Elders Advisory Council. The other shortlisted finalists were: Niitsitapilsini -- Our Way of Life, presented by Two Row Architect and co-designers Brian Porter and Matt Hickey; Nitsinii'Pokaako'sa -- My Special Child, presented by Spectacle Bureau for Architecture and Jared Tailfeathers; Footsteps in the Firelight, presented by Tawaw Architecture Collective Inc. and Wanda Della Costa; and The Wandering Spirit, the winner, was presented by Ground3 Inc. (groundcubed) and Adrian Stimson. POOS team Celestine Twigg, the late Troy Emery Twigg, Harrison Red Crow and Adrian Stimson are part of the team that created POOS, an animated short film that screens at the Calgary International Film Festival Monday, Sept. 23. (Photo: XstineCook) Stimson works in a variety of media, including paintings, installations, performance and video. His paintings often feature bison and his installations contain references to experiences in the residential school system. His work is part of the collection of the North American Indigenous collection at The British Museum, as well as The Glenbow Museum. He won the 2018 Governor-General's Award for Visual and Media Arts. 'The memorial will bring healing, celebration, and honour to Indigenous communities and those who continue to suffer the impacts and imprints of residential schools,' said Otsskoipiiks'aakii Paula Smith, (Blackfoot Confederacy, Piikani Nation) who is the Indigenous relations manager at The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland. 'The land at the confluence was used by Fort Calgary to uphold the residential school system, but it has also been a significant place to Indigenous people since long before the North-West Mounted Police arrived here,' added Smith. 'The chosen memorial design is meant to bring both these histories together towards a unified future.' Next The project will move into the detailed design phase before construction planning gets underway. The city extended its deep gratitude to the IRSM Elders Advisory Circle, Elders, residential school survivors and their families, the four shortlisted design teams, The Confluence and community members who joined in the selection process. 'Through this memorial, we hope to foster understanding and connection for all Calgarians, now and for generations to come,' said Sherri Kellock, who is an Indigenous strategist at the City of Calgary.


Winnipeg Free Press
9 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Conventions shift in shadow of wildfires
Thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses were to gather at the RBC Convention Centre this weekend. Instead, groups will meet in their home congregations, live-streaming event programming — an adjustment they learned during the COVID-19 pandemic. Temporary shelter for wildfire evacuees has taken the place of their annual three-day convention. Since the latest provincewide state of emergency, declared July 10, Tourism Winnipeg has assisted four conferences that have postponed, cancelled or switched to virtual settings. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS files An international soils research gathering and an annual Jehovah's Witnesses convention are two of the recent events the RBC Convention Centre has had to adjust its initial plans for. An uncounted number of hotel-based conferences have followed the same trend. Meanwhile, urban tourism businesses and restaurateurs have altered operations — and seen fewer patio-goers — as cities receive wildfire smoke-related air quality alerts. 'Whether we're able to do it at RBC Convention Centre or remotely, we're happy to understand this year's theme about pure worship on another level,' said Chad Bower, a Jehovah's Witnesses spokesperson. Members trek from Manitoba's corners, and other provinces, for the event's Bible-based talks and videos. The RBC Convention Centre has housed the weekend-long gathering for the past two years. One room has a helpful dividing wall: it separates the roughly 3,100 English- and 1,000 Tagalog-speaking attendees during programming, Bower relayed. 'We're very supportive of the government helping out the evacuees,' he underscored. 'You want to make sure that people are taken care of.' Beds dot the convention centre's third floor; 143 were being used Thursday morning. The shelter setup began July 13. An international soils conference slated for the RBC Convention Centre on July 20-25 was shifted to the Delta Hotels Winnipeg, said David Chizda, the convention centre's director of sales and business development. A career fair slated for July 30 has been pushed to August. Third-floor maintenance work is postponed for the time being, Chizda added. 'There's no loss to the economy with the soils conference,' he said. 'The partnerships that we have with the other downtown hotels and with Tourism Winnipeg … it was very quick and very easy to help accommodate the conventions.' Chizda didn't divulge the expected monetary loss to the convention centre but said the site will be compensated for housing evacuees. The Manitoba Hotel Association doesn't yet know the breadth or economic impact of wildfire-related conference changes this summer. Seventy-eight hotels have a collective 2,532 rooms booked for evacuees, a provincial spokesperson said Thursday. As a result, several conferences — 'important revenue generators' — have been rescheduled, said Michael Juce, Manitoba Hotel Association president. 'I think just about any conference is having those conversations with their venue,' he added. 'It's tough … there's only so many event spaces.' Tourism Winnipeg, in its 2024 annual report, estimated the 76 future events and conferences it attracted would generate at least $53.3 million in direct spending. The statistic doesn't cover smaller events hotels host, Juce noted. The Manitoba Restaurant & Foodservices Association is also waiting on the full economic impact of the wildfires. 'We've seen a monumental decline in the amount of patio business this year,' said Shaun Jeffrey, executive director of the MRFA. Generally, sales are down year-over-year, Jeffrey said. He attributed the dip to bouts of poor air quality. Winnipeg has logged 23 days' worth of air quality alerts since May 31, per Environment and Climate Change Canada. Brandon sits at 18 days. The air quality health index has reached or exceeded 10 — a high to very high health risk warning — at least 18 days in Winnipeg. Thomas Schneider nearly closed Tommy's Pizzeria's patio one smoky day. With the haze, people are opting to sit inside during the usually busy patio season, Schneider relayed. 'I just want to give our customers the best dining experience possible,' he said. 'When it's smoky, it's a little difficult to do.' The Corydon Avenue eatery's sales appear lower this July compared to last, Schneider said. He's frequently checking the weather — and the air quality index — to see if he needs to reduce staffing. Anecdotally, fewer tourists are stopping by, Schneider added. In contrast, Pasquale's Italian Ristorante has clocked more customers than last summer, said owner Joe Loschiavo. Still, some patrons have avoided the Marion Street rooftop patio because of the smoke, he added. 'We know it's been difficult for … Manitobans,' Loschiavo said. (He joined every person the Free Press interviewed in expressing their support and condolences for wildfire evacuees.) Winnipeg Waterways, a boat tour operator stationed at The Forks, is giving discounts to evacuees showing their Red Cross cards — as long as the boats are running. Air quality has caused Winnipeg Waterways to halt operations for two or three full days and a handful of partial days this summer, said co-owner Griffin Hewitt. 'We're always monitoring,' Hewitt stated, adding the decision to close comes from a mix of weather apps, government websites, staff comfort and conditions on the river. More than 100 tourism operations have been affected by wildfires, per Travel Manitoba tracking. The total impact won't be known for a while, especially as wildfire season continues, Travel Manitoba's president said. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. 'We're very concerned about all of the issues that we're dealing with,' Colin Ferguson said. 'First of all, very concerned with all of the evacuees … Hopefully, we will see them returning to their homes soon.' Some northern tourism operators have been 'devastated,' Ferguson noted. Fishing and hunting lodges in emergency zones have been forced to shutter during their busiest months; at least two have burned. Upwards of 45 commercial lodges have been affected. However, much of Manitoba is still open for tourism and the province's current state of emergency doesn't ban non-essential travel, Ferguson stressed. He highlighted free entry to provincial parks. Approximately 7,050 evacuees were staying in Manitoba hotels on Thursday morning. Another 659 people resided in congregate sites in Winnipeg. Gabrielle PichéReporter Gabrielle Piché reports on business for the Free Press. She interned at the Free Press and worked for its sister outlet, Canstar Community News, before entering the business beat in 2021. Read more about Gabrielle. Every piece of reporting Gabrielle produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.


Calgary Herald
13 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
City of Calgary finalizes design for residential school memorial at the Confluence
The City of Calgary has finalized a design concept for a memorial to the experiences of Indigenous people in the residential school system, inching closer to its construction, which is set to take a few years. Article content The selection follows a competition which required participants to qualify for a detailed contest. Article content Article content The design that was chosen is called Wandering Spirit, which a jury composed of Indigenous members, including Elders and technical experts, said 'meets competition criteria, aligns with cultural and community values, and honours the vision for this important site.' Article content Article content 'The memorial will bring healing, celebration, and honour to Indigenous communities and those who continue to suffer the impacts and imprints of residential schools,' said Otsskoipiiks'aakii Paula Smith, Indigenous Relations Manager at The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland, who is Piikani. Article content Article content 'The land at the confluence was used by Fort Calgary to uphold the residential school system, but it has also been a significant place to Indigenous people since long before the North-West Mounted Police arrived here. The chosen memorial design is meant to bring both these histories together towards a unified future.' Article content The memorial, which was announced last fall, will be built at the Confluence Historic Site & Parkland, formerly named Fort Calgary. Article content 'This memorial represents a commitment to truth, acting as a place of remembrance, and a call to action. It will stand as a permanent reminder of the children who never returned home, the survivors who carry deep scars, and the families and communities who continue to live with the intergenerational impacts of the residential school system,' she said. Article content