The Squamish Nation is purchasing 467 hectares (1,154 acres) of Crown land in the Squamish area with the intent of having the parcels added to Squamish Nation reserve lands and used for future housing needs.
The purchase, announced on Wednesday (Nov. 2) in a joint statement issued by the Squamish Nation and the B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, includes five parcels, including three in the upper Squamish/Cheakamus area, two (divided into two separate polygons) above Quest University and one south of Valleycliffe. Two of the three northern parcels are adjacent to the largest contiguous parcel of existing Squamish Nation reserve land in the upper Squamish area.
The nation is paying a total of $16.275 million for the land, officials said.
"The land sale supports the Squamish Nation's community development objectives while providing revenue for the Province," Steve Thomson, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources Operations, said in the statement. "The entire Sea to Sky Corridor will benefit from the economic stimulus provided by development of this land."
"This is an historic day for the Squamish Nation," said Squamish Nation Chief Gibby Jacob. "The amount of land we are acquiring is roughly equal to the amount of land that was taken from us by the Pacific Great Eastern Railway in 1913. The land is intended to be used by the Squamish Nation to develop housing for our members."
The purchase has been anticipated for some time. In March, Squamish Nation and the District of Squamish (DOS) signed an Intergovernmental Accord that included an agreement by the DOS to support land-use provisions for approximately 1,200 acres of land to be purchased by the nation.
Ministry spokeswoman Cheekwan Ho wrote as part of a response to a series of questions emailed by The Chief that the 1,154 acres covered under Wednesday's announcement are among the parcels that were anticipated for purchase in the Intergovernmental Accord.
The parcels to be purchased as part of the latest agreement, however, did not include the approximately 200 acres of land in the Cheekye Fan area of Brackendale that received specific mention when the DOS-Squamish Nation accord was signed. Under the accord announced in March, the Squamish Nation would develop non-First Nations housing adjacent to Government, Depot and Ross roads, the nation would dedicate the 50 acres that currently make up the Brackendale Farmers' Institute Park to a public park and the DOS would receive 25 per cent of the profit from the associated development.
"The Cheekye Fan lands are a different matter entirely from today's announcement," Ho wrote. "While the Cheekye Fan area is mentioned in the Accord, discussions between the Province, the District of Squamish, the Squamish Nation and their development partner are still in very early stages."
Ho added that Wednesday's announcement also is not related to a land-title mix-up involving approximately 9.8 acres that was initially intended to be part of Squamish Nation reserve lands instead being sold to non-First Nations owners because of a 1917 surveying error. That matter is being dealt with in a separate initiative involving the would-be current owners, the Squamish Nation and the federal and provincial governments.
The parcels of land to be purchased as part of Wednesday's agreement include:
A parcel near Valleycliffe totaling 42.4 hectares (104.77 acres);
Block A (two separate polygons on the map, but designated as one legal parcel), totaling 222.32 hectares (549.36 acres) above Quest University;
Evans Lake (Block B), totaling 109.85 hectares (271.44 acres);
North Squamish (Block L), totaling 34.76 hectares (85.89 acres); and
Cheakamus (DL 8149), totaling 57.92 hectares (143.12 acres).
Ho said the Evans Lake parcel is next to the summer camp run by the Evans Lake Forest Education Society.
"A replacement lease for the Evans Lake camp core area has been issued, for a nominal rent, to the Evans Lake Society for purposes of providing beneficial community service on a non-profit basis for day camp and outdoor education purposes," she wrote.
"In addition, Squamish Nation has agreed to lease back portions of [Block] B to the Society for similar purposes," she said.
