SFN flag taken back from Nanaimo City Hall over denial of ‘violence’ against CAO
NANAIMO — Solemn faces lined the steps of Nanaimo City Hall as Snuneymuxw First Nation took back the flag they raised there barely two years ago.
Chief John Wesley and coun. Doug White III led a delegation to retrieve the flag Friday afternoon. SFN demanded the flag’s return because of what they called “the violence experienced by Tracy Samra in her role as city manager of Nanaimo and the denial of that violence by mayor Bill McKay.”
“This is the hardest thing I’ve had to do is ask for the flag back,” Wesley told NanaimoNewsNOW following the demonstration. “I’ve felt we’ve developed a partnership with mayor and council so we can move forward to develop a successful life here in Nanaimo. With our Indigenous women, the way they’ve been treated in B.C. and across Canada, it’s really a shame to have to address this here in Nanaimo…We’re trying to stop it, we’re doing what we can today. Hopefully we brought it to light.”
Several Nanaimo councillors, along with the mayor, stood on the steps of City Hall behind the SFN delegation as they delivered speeches and a song to a crowd of roughly 20 people. Former SFN and current Nanaimo coun. Bill Yoachim handed the flag to Wesley.