Poll finds most British Columbians oppose changing province’s name or flag

Most British Columbians have little appetite for changing their province’s name or removing British symbols from its flag, according to a new Research Co. survey.

The poll, reported by KelownaNow, found 58 percent of respondents opposed renaming British Columbia to acknowledge Indigenous heritage. Just 28 percent supported the idea, with the remainder undecided.

Asked what bothered them about the name “British Columbia,” 66 percent said nothing.

17 percent cited the absence of Indigenous acknowledgement as a concern, while 16 percent objected to the word “British” and seven percent disliked “Columbia.”

There was similarly limited support for changing the provincial flag.

Only 26 percent favoured removing the Union Jack from the upper portion of the flag, compared with 52 percent who opposed its removal.

Support for changing the province’s name has also declined in some areas. In 2022, 37 percent of Vancouver Island respondents supported a name change, the highest level in B.C. Research Co. president Mario Canseco said that figure has since fallen by 10 percentage points.

British Columbia received its name from Queen Victoria in 1858. “British” distinguished the territory as part of the British Empire, while “Columbia” referred to the Columbia River.

The current provincial flag was adopted in 1960 and incorporates the Union Jack, a crown and a setting sun over blue and white waves.