The BC SPCA’s formerly named Powell River Community Animal Centre has been officially renamed qathet. To honour the BC SPCA’s partnership with the Tla’amin Nation and to recognize this small step in the organization’s reconciliation journey, a renaming ceremony was held on May 15. This meaningful event was an important reminder for all attendees of the power and weight behind a name.
“The BC SPCA has a long-standing reputation for standing up for those who can’t speak for themselves—animals in need. That spirit of compassion and advocacy has earned your trust in our region,” Losa Luaifoa, Executive Council member with the Tla’amin Nation, explained to guests in her remarks. “But like many institutions, the SPCA has not always had a positive relationship with Indigenous communities, including Tla’amin. There’s a history of misunderstanding, mistrust, and real hurt—and we can’t pretend that history isn’t there.”
Luaifoa continued “That’s what makes this moment so powerful. The name qathet means “working together” in ʔayʔaǰuθəm. It’s an aspirational name, one that points us forward—toward partnership, toward healing, and toward a new kind of relationship rooted in mutual respect.”
For Tara Daniels, qathet Community Animal Centre manager and longtime community member of the qathet region, this name change is one step closer to her dream for the BC SPCA’s presence in the area. “My vision for the BC SPCA and the qathet Community Animal Centre is to be a place where not just the animals we care for feel safe, but the people do too. I want this to be an inclusive and culturally safe space. We want the community to know that they can come to us for support without fear of judgement.”
The BC SPCA’s newly evolved vision aims to see a world where animals and people are thriving together, but the organization understands that community partnerships and allies are critical in this.
“The relationship between Indigenous Peoples in Canada and colonial authorities like policing and animal enforcement agencies has not always been a good one. Indigenous relationships with animals based on kinship, reciprocity and respect have historically been misunderstood or dismissed in conversations around animal welfare and animal management,” explains Craig Daniell, CEO of the BC SPCA.
“To truly see a world where animals and people are thriving together, all our communities need to be reflected in these conversations. This is a call to act in alignment with Indigenous values and teachings as we forge the path forward for animal welfare in British Columbia.”
