Cowichan health facility’s new name: Quw’utsun Valley Hospital (Quw’utsun Hulitun-ew’t-hw)
Published 1:55 pm Wednesday, November 12, 2025
Quw’utsun Valley Hospital (Quw’utsun Hulitun-ew’t-hw) is the new name of the approximately $1.5-billion hospital under construction on Bell McKinnon Road in the Cowichan Valley.
The new Hul’q’umi’num’ and English dual name for the hospital, which will replace the aging Cowichan District Hospital on Gibbins Road when it is completed in 2027, incorporates Indigenous perspectives into healing, and celebrates the deep cultural and linguistic heritage of the Quw’utsun Peoples and their connection to the land.
Cowichan Tribes Chief Cindy Daniels (Sulsulxumaat) and Debra Toporowski (Qwulti’stunaat), the MLA for the Cowichan Valley, unveiled the new name in a ceremony on Nov. 12 surrounded by Elders and community leaders.
Daniels said knowledge and values are embedded in the Hul’q’umi’num’ language.
“Our Elders have gifted the new hospital with an important name that offers a new way forward when it comes to our peoples’ experiences with health-care facilities,” she said.
“It is our hope that this dual name will not only welcome and comfort all people who seek care here, but also inspire and support the medical professionals and staff who provide that care.”
The Hul’q’umi’num’ name, Quw’utsun Hulitun-ew’t-hw, means Cowichan place of giving life, and honours the land, language and holistic healing traditions of the Quw’utsun Peoples.
The name will be paired with the English name Quw’utsun Valley Hospital.
The Hul’q’umi’num’ name and permission to use the language was gifted to the new hospital by the Cowichan Tribes S-ul’hween Language Committee through a collaborative process led by the Hul’q’umi’num’ and Snuw’uy’lh Advisory.
The groups worked in partnership with the hospital replacement project alliance to develop the name, with a shared goal to improve First Nation, Métis and Inuit health-care experiences.
Toporowski, who is also a member of Cowichan Tribes and is the province’s Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Health, said the new name is a meaningful step towards reconciliation, while ensuring people can depend that their health services will be delivered in a culturally based and inclusive way.
She said she believes that the announcement of the new name will have a lasting impact on the community for generations to come.
“I am deeply inspired by this powerful act of cultural revitalization and collaboration between the Hul’q’umi’num’ and Snuw’uy’ulh Advisory and the project team,” said Toporowski.
“Today’s announcement is a beautiful way to honour the land and language of the Quw’utsun Peoples, while working to deliver the services the community needs.”
Construction of the 204-bed hospital is 75 per cent complete and on track for completion in 2026.
It is expected to be ready for patients in 2027.
The hospital will be more than three times larger than the hospital it is replacing, and will have 56 more beds.
Funding for the project is being provided by the province through Island Health, the Cowichan Valley Regional District and the Cowichan District Hospital Foundation.
Leah Hollins, board chair at Island Health, said the health authority is profoundly grateful to Cowichan Tribes’ S-ul’hween Language Committee and the Hul’q’umi’num’ and Snuw’uy’ulh Advisory for trusting Island Health with their language, their stories and the truths of their experiences in health care.
“Our new hospital name reflects the warmth and compassion our staff bring to patients and each other, and will continue to inspire us to create lasting, transformative change through partnership and collaboration,” she said.
Kate Segall, board chair at the CVRD, said the district is grateful for the healing, and reflection of community and cultural values that the new hospital name Quw’utsun Hulitun-ew’t-hw represents.
“We respectfully acknowledge the many partners who have worked together to establish a hospital rooted in compassion, care, and inclusion,” she said.