PETITION TO SAVE THE NEW WESTMINSTER "ROYAL CITY" MONIKER

 I call upon:
·       New Westminster Mayor Jonathan Cote
·       Community First mayoral candidate & current city councillor Patrick Johnstone
·       Community First Councillor Nadine Nakagawa
·       Community First Councillor Jaimie McEvoy
·       Community First Councillor Chinu Das
·       Community First Councillor Mary Trentadue
to immediately rescind the motion directing staff to eliminate the use of the ‘Royal City’ moniker as it pertains to our official brand.

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Background and rationale:

• Mayor Jonathan Cote and his city council team unveiled 50 ideas as part of their 2018 campaign platform and not a single idea pertained directly to eliminating the ‘Royal City’ branding in New Westminster; and
• New Westminster City Council approved a motion on July 11, 2022 to remove the term ‘Royal City’ from any future communications and branding. They cited this as part of an effort to support Truth and Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples of Canada; and
• There was no meaningful consultation with the citizens of New Westminster, including Indigenous People, prior to this motion being passed; and
• Many businesses, not-for-profit organizations, community and sport groups currently use the moniker ‘Royal City’ and have invested significant funds in their branding; and
• Having the City of New Westminster eliminate the ‘Royal City’ moniker would negatively impact many of the organizations listed above; and
• New Westminster residents are proud of the fact our city is the only one in British Columbia that can legitimately use this ‘Royal City’ branding; and
• Undertaking a rebranding exercise to remove the Royal City moniker may have the unintended consequence of further damaging the relationship between Indigenous People and non-Indigenous People living alongside each other within the City of New Westminster; and
• The Truth and Reconciliation Commission made 94 recommendations, none of which spoke to the renaming of buildings, the removing of statues or the rebranding of cities; and
• Efforts to rebrand the City of New Westminster come with unknown costs to taxpayers and businesses while using up limited resources and staff time that could be better used to actually implement the 94 recommendations, address the infrastructure deficit, work to improve safety on our streets and in our schools; and
• The Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Senator Murray Sinclair stated publicly "It is not about taking off names off buildings, it is about whether we can find a way to put Indigenous names on buildings…….. "The problem I have with the overall approach to tearing down statues and buildings is that is counterproductive to ... reconciliation because it almost smacks of revenge or smacks of acts of anger, but in reality, what we are trying to do, is we are trying to create more balance in the relationship."; and
• Recommendation #45 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission states “We call upon the Government of Canada, on behalf of all Canadians, to jointly develop with Aboriginal peoples a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation to be issued by the Crown. The proclamation would build on the Royal Proclamation of 1763 and the Treaty of Niagara of 1764, and reaffirm the nation-to-nation relationship between Aboriginal peoples and the Crown.”; and
• Recommendation #94 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission states “We call upon the Government of Canada to replace the Oath of Citizenship with the following: I swear (or affirm) that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada including Treaties with Indigenous Peoples, and fulfill my duties as a Canadian citizen.”