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 patch 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 Agreement 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.
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 Intergovernmental Accord was signed. As part of the earlier agreement, which would see the Squamish Nation develop non-First Nations housing between Government, Depot and Ross roads, the nation would dedicate 50 acres that currently makes up the Brackendale Farmers' Institute Park to a public park and the DOS would receive 25 per cent of the profit from the development.
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 (separated into two separate lots, 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);
Cheakamus (DL 8149), totaling 57.92 hectares (143.12 acres).
See this week's print edition of The Chief for more on this developing story.
