Squamish Nation approves Vancouver development

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A development on First Nations land in Kitsilano is one step closer to being built.

The Squamish Nation approved the project Tuesday night, with 87 per cent of members voting in support of land designation that covers about 11 acres of reserve land.

According to the Nation, this project represents the single largest development on First Nation lands in Canada.

“The Squamish Nation Council is thrilled with the outcome of this referendum, which was approved by a landslide. This is truly a landmark moment in our Nation’s history. The Sen̓áḵw Project will transform the Squamish Nation by providing immense social, cultural, and economic benefits to Squamish Nation members for generations to come,” Khelsilem, Squamish Nation councillor and spokesperson, said in a Facebook post.

In conjunction with Westbank, a developer, the Nation plans to build 11 towers at the south end of the Burrard Bridge near Vancouver’s False Creek, with the tallest being 56 storeys high.

RELATED: Squamish Nation-led housing project in Vancouver to double in size

The area was originally home to members of the Squamish Nation for thousands of years before they were illegally forced to accept a settlement and moved to less desirable land along Howe Sound in 1913. Although it was declared a reserve in the late-1800s, it was sold off by 1965.

After lengthy legal battles, in 2002, the Squamish Nation regained a small section of the earlier reserve, which is today Kitsilano Indian Reserve No. 6.

The Squamish Nation had planned on developing the land about 10 years ago but halted the process because of the economic downturn.

Now, construction is expected to start in 2021. The project will see about 6,000 units, with 70 to 90 per cent of them designated as market rentals.

The Nation has said the units will be mostly rental with a preference for Squamish Nation members, and will include both subsidized and affordable housing units.

With files from the Canadian Press