Mount Douglas, Saanich

Mount Douglas, (SENĆOŦEN: pq̕áls or PKOLS) usually referred to as Mount Doug by locals, is a prominent, 225 m (738 ft)[3] hill in Saanich, Greater Victoria, British Columbia. It is located in Mount Douglas Park in the municipality of Saanich.

PKOLS (Mount Douglas)
Mt. Douglas from the south
Highest point
Elevation225 m (738 ft)
Prominence225 m (738 ft)
Coordinates48°29′35.05″N 123°20′48.44″W[1]
Geography
Mount Douglas is located in Vancouver Island
Mount Douglas
Mount Douglas
Mount Douglas is located in British Columbia
Mount Douglas
Mount Douglas
Mount Douglas (British Columbia)
DistrictVictoria Land District
Topo mapNTS 92B6 Victoria[2]

"Little Mount Douglas" or "Little Mount Doug" is a smaller secondary peak about 150 m (492 ft) west of the main peak.[3]

Name

The aboriginal Saanich and Songhees people call the hill PKOLS [pq̕áls], meaning 'white head' in SENĆOŦEN dialect. This hill was a culturally significant gathering and meeting place of the SENĆOŦEN and Lekwungen peoples, a site for ceremonies and sharing important news.[4]

In the mid-nineteenth century, it was called Cedar Hill, and was home to logging operations. Local mills supplied the growing city of Victoria, including the original Hudson's Bay Company fort, transporting lumber south along present day Cedar Hill Road. It was brought under protected status in 1889. Finding no cedars on the hill called "Cedar Hill," Captain Henry Kellett renamed it "Mount Douglas," as recorded in the Fort Victoria Journal by Roderick Finlayson.[5] Although this informal renaming occurred in James Douglas's lifetime (it was given the appellation "Mount" to honour the governor's status), the name "Mount Douglas" was not officially adopted until 1910.

In 2013, an effort was started to re-establish its aboriginal name.[6][7][8] The Reclaim PKOLS movement has appealed to the BC Geographical Names Office for a formal name change. There has yet to be an approval of this petition.

The Neighbourhood

The namesake neighbourhood around the base of Mt. Douglas is a mix of residential neighbourhoods, hobby farms and working farms, roughly bounded by Cedar Hill Road, Cordova Bay Road, the Blenkinsop Valley and Parkside Crescent. The farms of the Blenkinsop Valley (such as Madrona Farm) are protected by the provincial Agricultural Land Reserve.

Mount Douglas Mine

Mount Douglas has many trails. One trail in particular, on its south side (near the north-most point of Glendenning Trail), has an old abandoned mine. The mine has a small entrance, but it opens up inside. The mine is about 50 to 60 feet (15.24 to 18.29 m) in length.

PKOLS (Mount Douglas Park)

Mount Douglas is located in PKOLS (Mount Douglas Park) in Saanich, BC. The park covers 188 ha. It was established as a government reserve in 1858 by Governor James Douglas, and it became Mount Douglas Park in 1889 when the land was transferred to the city of Victoria.[9] Victoria managed the park until 1990 when it was transferred to the District of Saanich.

On August 15, 2022, Saanich Council approved a request from the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council to move forward with a municipal park name restoration for PKOLS (Mount Douglas Park).[10]

References
  1. "Mount Douglas, Greater Victoria". latitude.to. Retrieved 2021-05-24.
  2. "Mount Douglas". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2021-05-24.
  3. "Mount Douglas Park". saanich.ca. Retrieved 2021-05-24.
  4. "A History of PKOLS (Mount Douglas)". Archived from the original on 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2014-06-20.
  5. "Victoria Post Journal August 1846". Fort Victoria Journal. Retrieved 2021-05-24.
  6. "Reclaim PKOLS". Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  7. Hill, Edward (2013-05-18). "First Nations act to reclaim name of Mount Doug". Victoria News. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  8. "Mount Douglas Name Change Supported By Noam Chomsky". huffingtonpost.ca. The Canadian Press. May 22, 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-05-23.
  9. District of Saanich. "Mount Douglas Park".
  10. "Name restoration for PKOLS (Mount Douglas Park)". www.saanich.ca. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
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