By Cheryl Jahn

O’Grady to be renamed

Jun 13, 2022 | 9:10 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – It was an agenda item that garnered the greatest conversation among Council members. The recommendation from Administration was that Council “… approves renaming O’Grady Road to Dakelh Ti, which means First Nation Road, and directs Administration to proceed with implementation of the name change.”

However, several Councillor noted the need to better communicate the name change with the residents and businesses who currently reside and do business along O’Grady Road.

“This is a marathon, not a sprint,” noted Councillor Terri McConnachie, making reference to reconciliation.

The request was made of Council back in August of 2021. In a letter, the Lheidli T’enneh wrote:

“The recent discovery of the remains of hundreds of children at residential schools on BC and Saskatchewan has heightened the awareness of the crimes committed at Catholic-church-run residential schools. Young children died while in the while in the care of Priests and Nuns at these schools. Others were tortured, abused, and Ill-treated. The fact that Bishop O’Grady who O’Grady Road is named for, played a key role on the administration of residential schools in BC while deaths and abuse of children occurred, is reason enough to change the name.”

BCHL Playoffs

Langley's goalie steals game one over Spruce Kings

4h ago

ckpg news special

The Resource Reality

23h ago

Crime

Paramedics injured after object thrown through ambulance window

Apr 03, 2026

“His name is synonymous with crimes against indigenous children. Our members and other indigenous citizens in Prince George are forced to relive residential school trauma every time we shop at the stores in the College Heights area where O’Grady Road is located.”

It was at that meeting that Council directed Administration to look into the process behind a possible name change.

Tonight, it was Councillor McConnachie who put forward the initial resolution to create a communication plan around the name change to residents and businesses along O’Grady Road, there was no mention of the name change. It was only after a ten-minute recess that Mayor and Council returned to add to the resolution, changing the name.

There is no timeline for either the communication plan or the actual name change.