Lower Mainland treaty deal unveiled
The Tsawwassen First Nation has announced it's reached a tentative treaty agreement with the B.C. and federal governments that includes cash, land and fishing rights.
The band will receive 427 hectares of Crown-leased farmland in Delta, more than doubling the size of the Tsawwassen reserve to almost 7.2-square kilometres.
The 300-member band will also receive about $14 million in cash, commercial fishing rights and the right to remove some of its new farmland from the Agricultural Land Reserve.
Tsawwassen Band Chief Kim Baird says this agreement is big step toward improving her people's living conditions to those found in the surrounding non-aboriginal community.
"I can't stress (enough) the disparity the members of my community face in relation to our neighbours as far as socio-economic rates, employment, high school graduation levels.
"A treaty when we get there will provide the tools for my community to rebuild its wealth to levels we used to enjoy traditionally," she says.
Baird says there are a number of important areas that must be dealt with before a final agreement can be drawn up including self-governance and taxation.
That final agreement is expected in about two years.
Meanwhile, the mayor of Delta says she's concerned that valuable farmland could could be lost. Lois Jackson says the municipality wants to hang onto as much agricultural land as possible.
But the chief federal negotiator, Robyn Dodson says the band must still get consent from the Agricultural Land Commission before removing land from the ALR.
The Tsawwassen First Nation began treaty negotiations 10 years ago,
