Vancouver care home to be renamed after group highlights politician's lobbying against Japanese Canadians
A care home in Vancouver named after a racist politician will be renamed in coming months.
Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) said a local community group pointed out how George Pearson lobbied for the forced eviction of all Japanese Canadians when he was a provincial cabinet minister in the 1940s.
They requested the health authority come up with a more culturally appropriate name for the George Pearson Centre care home.
"VCH recognizes that names hold power and signal organizational and community values," the authority said in a news release, adding it is committed to making all sites more culturally safe.
The centre, built in 1952 and located on West 57th Avenue, is home to approximately 120 residents with complex medical and physical conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and spinal cord and brain injuries.
"The beliefs and actions of George S. Pearson do not align with VCH's core values," the health authority said.
"We care for everyone, we are always learning and we strive for better results."
The renaming process is expected to take several months as VCH works with community partners and stakeholders to choose a new name for the facility.
