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Grant withheld over society’s name

NANAIMO – The City of Nanaimo has withheld thousands of dollars in funding from Nanaimo Empire Days Celebration Society.
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The Nanaimo Empire Days Celebration Society hosts its annual parade on the May long weekend. The City of Nanaimo has held back a partial cultural grant over controversy surrounding the society’s name.

Nanaimo Empire Days Celebration Society was dealt a financial blow earlier this week.

On Monday, Nanaimo city councillors approved two separate motions that will see $5,250 in city money withheld from the Nanaimo Empire Days Celebration Society.

The motions, which approved funding for numerous other organizations and events, denied the society $3,000 from the city’s cultural operating grant recommendation and $2,250 from the festivals and events grant recommendation.

Coun. Dianne Brennan, who tabled the motions, said that the time is now for the society to change its name.

“We’ve said to them … that you need to change your name or take steps towards changing before we fund your activities,” Brennan told the News Bulletin.

The full amount was originally recommended by a sub-committee of the Culture and Heritage Committee.

“Maybe they were hesitant,” she said. “Maybe the wanted to leave the politics up to us,” she said. “They were aware of it and they did speak to the Empire Days Society. The society told the committee that they recognized that it was a problem and that they were going to be working on it, but it hadn’t happened yet.”

Brennan said that the society has known for years the issues around the name.

“We generally tell them that it is uncomfortable and that people can be very much offended by the name Empire Days and their experience with the British Empire not being good.”

Brennan said over the years there have been apologies and efforts to reconcile with minority groups at the federal, provincial and local levels, adding that Nanaimo is behind the times with allowing the Empire Days Society’s name to stand.

Brennan said she appreciates what the society has done over the years and that they celebrate a historical era in the city’s history but that the time has come to change its name.

A representative from the Empire Days society could not be reached for comment.