B.C. to return 2K hectares of land to Vancouver Island First Nation
The B.C. government says it will transfer more than 2,000 hectares of land back to a Vancouver Island First Nation amid ongoing treaty negotiations.
A total of 2,276 hectares of land will be returned to the Wei Wai Kum First Nation in the Campbell River, B.C., area under an incremental treaty agreement (ITA).
The benefits to the First Nation are two-fold, according to the province. The land can be used for forestry and economic purposes, and for environmental and cultural activities.
"Crown lands were carefully selected to balance support for Wei Wai Kum’s interests and maintenance of public access to popular recreation sites such as Loveland Bay Provincial Park and areas required for BC Timber Sales operations," said the province in a release Thursday.
Wei Wai Kum has been negotiating its treaty with the province since 1997. Discussions about this particular land transfer begin in 2019.
"This agreement and transfer of land back to our Nation is a significant milestone in the treaty negotiations process and ongoing journey of reconciliation," said Wei Wai Kum Chief Chris Roberts in a statement.
Roberts noted, however, that it has taken 25 years of treaty negotiations to make the land transfer possible.
The chief says Wei Wai Kum will now manage the land and its natural resources with an eye towards economic, environmental and recreational benefits.
Wei Wai Kum currently has 850 members and reserve lands spread across mid-Vancouver Island and Discovery Island, according to the province.
"Treaties are one of the most important pathways to reconciliation," said Murray Rankin, B.C. Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation.
"Wei Wai Kum and B.C. have made great strides and built trust while negotiating a final treaty, including ensuring the benefits of the treaty are able to flow to Wei Wai Kum more quickly through this ITA," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.