Welcome to the Vancouver Lexicon. Its purpose is to pin down the patois of the City of Vancouver by recording its toponyms, nicknames, slang terms, personalities, places, and other Van-centric things. Full A-Z here.

Territory Acknowledgement | affirmation | A stated recognition of the fact that British Columbia was proclaimed upon a seized patchwork of Indigenous lands that were never officially ceded by treaty, war or surrender at a time when colonists were outnumbered by the original inhabitants 30 to 1. The purpose of the territorial acknowledgement is to gently remind locals and visitors of this truth in the name of education and reconciliation. Example: “Before we get started it is important to first acknowledge that we are gathered today on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Musqueam people.” An important and increasingly common preambulary formality at local events and presentations.

Usage: “You know, sometimes the territorial acknowledgement at this thing feels a little rushed and insincere, but that was a really good one…”