A neighbourhood in Edmonton will officially adopt its new name soon

A historic neighbourhood in central Edmonton is about to officially adopt its brand-new name.

On January 1, 2025, the community of Oliver will officially be named Wîhkwêntôwin (pronounced We-Kwen-To-Win), a Cree word meaning “Circle of Friends.”

Edmonton City Council approved the community’s new name in February 2024, the first renaming of its kind in Edmonton, following an almost four-year process.

Over the past year, websites, maps, signage, and City documents have been updated to reflect the name change.

The suggestion to rename the neighbourhood came from the 2020 Uncover Oliver campaign, which shed light on the history of Frank Oliver, who the neighbourhood was named after in the 1930s.

While Oliver was considered a distinguished Edmontonian and politician in his time, his name is also associated with discriminatory practices within the federal government that involved curtailing Indigenous land rights and impeding Black immigration.

The community league collaborated with Indigenous Elders, leaders, and representatives from diverse communities to propose the new name. The league then engaged with neighbourhood residents, resulting in the final name submission in the spring of 2023.