O’Grady Road will be officially renamed Dakelh Ti, meaning First Nation Road in the Lheidli T’enneh language, starting the week of Aug. 14.
The City of Prince George will mail out notifications starting on Monday to the 43 parcels of land located along O’Grady Road, including residents of the College Heights Residential Park, according to a report going to city council on Monday. City crews will replace the streets signs the week of Aug. 14.
“As part of the notification, property owners will be provided with a list of recommended areas they will need to change their address (ie. ICBC, Service BC, Service Canada, banking, insurance, and private utilities companies),” city director of planning and development Deanna Wasnik wrote in the report. “As part of the road name change process, Canada Post will provide 1 year of free mail forwarding for all impacted properties. Emergency services will be updated immediately as well as City of Prince George services (water, sewer, bylaw, garbage, ect.), Fortis, BC Hydro, Telus, and Shaw and Recycle BC (Emterra).”
In a letter dated July 5, 2021, Lheidli T’enneh Chief Doleen Logan requested the city rename the road, which is named after Bishop John Fergus O'Grady.
“The fact that Bishop O’Grady who O’Grady Road is named for, played a key role in the administration of residential schools in BC while deaths and abuse occurred, is reason enough to change the name,” Logan wrote. “His name is synonymous with crimes against Indigenous children.”
On June 13, 2022, city council approved changing the name of O’Grady Road to Dakelh Ti, after consultation with the Lheidli T’enneh.
