Vancouver Sun columnist Douglas Todd argues that it might be time to consider ditching the name British Columbia in favour of some a little more au courant:
I side with readers who are concerned that the “British” in British Columbia conveys the anachronistic impression we are an afterthought of a former European empire; like British Guiana or British East Africa, or French Polynesia or the Belgian Congo — before they all dropped their colonial prefixes.
I am well aware residents of the West Coast of Canada enjoy practical independence from Britain. I even have a soft spot for “our” Queen, Elizabeth. But I also appreciate the power of symbols.
Residents of this province have the courage and strength to build on our emerging identity to come up with a more fitting name. All societies are in flux. A decent discussion over our name could reflect our evolution.
Can we find a name that better fits the rugged Pacific Northwest of the continent? What can we call the Canadian arm of a distinct bio-region that includes Oregon and Washington State, which geographers have for decades been calling Cascadia?
What are we afraid of? …. [Read the rest of the column]
He's inviting those with ideas about this to chime in on his blog.