Federal wharf on P.E.I.'s North Shore being renamed at urging of Abegweit First Nation

Warning: This story contains language that some will find offensive.

The federal government is renaming one of its facilities in Prince Edward Island in response to a request from the Abegweit First Nation.

As of Wednesday, the federally operated small craft harbour near the mouth of Savage Harbour on P.E.I.'s North Shore will be known as Crowbush Cove Wharf Small Craft Harbour, Fisheries and Oceans Canada said in a news release.

Abegweit First Nation Chief Junior Gould has been lobbying for the entire area to be renamed in light of how insulting he feels the word "savage" is to Indigenous peoples in Canada.

"Savage Harbour, Savage Bay, Savage Wharf and the Savage Harbour cottage area. That is hard for me to say. I hate saying that word," Gould said in June 2022.

On Wednesday, Gould said the official announcement is a "great thing for the community and a great thing for me personally."

"It's a good showcase or example of how to actually engage in truth and reconciliation rather than just talk about it," he said in an interview with CBC News: Compass host Louise Martin.

Renaming the entire location is a complex process involving a provincial committee and the Geographical Names Board of Canada, but the federal government can and did act more quickly to rename the harbour.

"DFO staff consulted with the Abegweit First Nation, worked with the Harbour Authority, which manages daily harbour operations, and heard from member harbour users, on renaming options for the federal harbour," the news release said.

"The new name is the result of an engagement process undertaken by the Harbour Authority with harbour users."

"Crowbush Cove Wharf Small Craft Harbour" was settled upon through a voting process.

Why Ottawa changed the name of a small craft harbour in P.E.I.

17 days ago

Duration 7:02

The federal government has renamed a small craft harbour it operates in P.E.I. to Crowbush Cove Wharf Small Craft Harbour. CBC News: Compass host Louise Martin sat down with Chief Junior Gould to find out why the Abegweit First Nation requested the change, and what the future could hold for the nearby community that shares the wharf's former name.

"It wasn't our place to choose a name for them," Gould said. "We just wanted them to respect our decision that 'savage' was inappropriate this day and age."

We've developed a program that aligns with the national policy to ensure consistency and build trust in that process. The renaming committee has been appointed and work has begun to address the request.Ryan Pineau, P.E.I. tax commissioner

Meanwhile, the issue of renaming the larger area around the wharf is still in provincial hands specifically, the hands of P.E.I. tax commissioner Ryan Pineau,who represents the province on theGeographical Names Board of Canada.

"The government of Prince Edward Island is focused on a collaborative approach to renaming unincorporated areas to ensure a respectful and inclusive process," Pineau said in a statement Wednesday.

"We've developed a program that aligns with the national policy to ensure consistency and build trust in that process. The renaming committee has been appointed and work has begun to address the request."

Name dates back to mid-1700s

When the Acadian settlers first arrived on what is now Prince Edward Islandin the 1720s, the Mi'kmaw name of Katewpijk (ga-DOH-bihjk) was recorded on several maps, using various spellings.

That name was picked up by the Acadians as well. The name Havre l'Anguille, or Eel Harbour, is recorded on at least one map, from 1744.

Then, toward the end of the French regime, just a few years before the deportation of the Acadians from Isle Saint-Jean in 1758, a different name appeared: Havre aux Sauvages.

That name was used by a French cartographer and also used in one French census.