ts'uḵw'um
Feature Type:Community - An unincorporated populated place, generally with a population of 50 or more, and having a recognized central area that might contain a post office, store and/or community hall, etc, intended for the use of the general public in the region.
Status: Official
Name Authority: BC Geographical Names Office
Pronounced: see note
Relative Location: E side of Strait of Georgia, at Mission Point, New Westminster Land District
Latitude-Longitude: 49°26'49"N, 123°42'44"W at the approximate population centre of this feature.
Datum: WGS84
NTS Map: 92G/5
Origin Notes and History:

"Wilson Creek" approved July 28, 1945 on Chart #3579 as Settlement & Post Office. Status changed to Settlement in 1977 Supplement. Status changed to Community 15 January 1982 on 92G/5. Name changed 26 March 2021 to ts'uḵw'um as recommended by shíshálh Nation and supported by District of Sechelt and Sunshine Coast Regional District.

Source: BC place name cards & correspondence, and/or research by BC Chief Geographer & Geographical Names Office staff.

ts'uḵw'um is the shashishalhem name for Wilson Creek (community). ts’ukw’um is an important shíshálh village site and shares its name with the nearby creek (Wilson Creek). The exact meaning/origin of the name is not known (advice form shíshálh Nation Stewardship and Territorial Land Management Division, 2019).

Source: included with note

ts'uḵw'um is very close to the shíshálh word ts'ukwum which means fresh water, tasteless (has no flavour). In a past resource, some shíshálh Elders stated that ts'uḵw'um and ts'ukwum were variations of the same word and that the ts'uḵw'um place name references the fresh water at the creek. However, this point could not be agreed upon by past Elders and the differences in spellings, modified letters and pronunciations could change the ts'uḵw'um word meaning completely. Therefore, shíshálh Elders could not agree upon the exact meaning of the ts'uḵw'um name. (Advice from shíshálh Nation Stewardship and Territorial Land Management Division, 2019)

Source: included with note

ts'uḵw'um
• The 'ts' sounds like the 'ts' in English 'cats', but it has a throat-catch.
• 'kw' sounds like the 'qu' in English 'quote', but is produced farther back in the mouth and has a throat-catch.
• Both 'u's are pronounced like the 'o' in English 'go'.
• The 'm' is pronounced like an 'm' in English.
• The first syllable has strong stress.
ts'uḵw'um is not capitalized.
(Advice from shíshálh Nation Stewardship and Territorial Land Management Division, 2019)

Source: included with note

Acknowledging with gratitude Raquel Joe (ch’elkwilwet), Museum Curator, tems swiya Museum, shíshálh Nation, and Steven Feschuk (xwash), Protector of Culture, shíshálh Nation, for providing the audio pronunciation.

Source: BC place name cards & correspondence, and/or research by BC Chief Geographer & Geographical Names Office staff.

To hear recordings of place names and learn other she shashishalhem words and phrases, visit shíshálh Nation’s language webpage: https://shishalh.com/culture-language/sechelt-language/

Source: included with note