Fort St. John keeps ‘Frozen John’ mascot name after research confirms origin

FORT ST. JOHN B.C. — The City of Fort St. John will continue using the mascot name, ‘Frozen John’ after staff heard concerns from residents about its origin.

At Monday’s meeting, staff presented council with the results of research conducted into the name after concerns were raised that the mascot may have been named after a local First Nations person who died from exposure, making it seem insensitive. 

City staff made inquiries to determine if continued use of the mascot was problematic.

According to the February 5th report to council, staff contacted the Doig River First Nation (DRFN) band manager, Shona Nelson, and asked whether the Frozen John mascot was a matter of sensitivity to the band’s members.

Nelson made several inquiries with Elders, learning that the namesake of ‘Frozen John’ was not Indigenous and that the First Nation took no position on whether the mascot should be used or not.

After thorough research was conducted by the Fort St. John North Peace Museum and DRFN, it was confirmed that Frozen John was a Swedish man named August Hjalmer Melquist who died from hypothermia in an area known as Frozen John not far from the city in 1918. Back then, Melquist was known locally as ‘Honest John.’

Councillor Sarah MacDougall did raise other concerns about the mascot’s name, saying ‘Honest John’ might be a better name to use going forward.

“I don’t think we should be having a mascot that talks about how someone died,” said MacDougall.

Councillor Byron Stewart agreed with MacDougall, saying, “Celebrating a person’s death is an odd thing to be doing.”

However, Stewart advocated for keeping the traditional name due to its significance to the community while educating on the mascot’s legacy. 

“This person now has a historical relevance to our community. That story is significant,” said Stewart. 

Frozen John was first presented to council in November 2005 by Sue Popesku and the city manager, John Locher. 

The mascot made his first public appearance on November 18th, 2005, for the Santa Claus Parade.

The full report can be viewed below: