First Nations partner with developers

Long before our region became the lively, beautiful place of prosperity it is today, it was home to thriving communities of people from the Tsawwassen, Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh and Squamish First Nations. Despite colonialism and its devastating effects on First Nations in North America, the people of Tsawwassen, Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh have worked tirelessly to regain, rebuild and restore their ancestral legacies in what we now call Metro Vancouver.

In pursuit of that goal, they have formed modern corporations that bear their names. Tsawwassen Economic Development Corporation (TEDC), and the MST Corporation (Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh) were created to become sustainable, profitable developments for the benefit of their members over the long term. MST Corporation has recently acquired six properties in its Nations’ traditional territories, an acquisition that has made this group the largest land developer in Vancouver. In 2009, the Tsawwassen First Nation (TFN) ratified the first urban First Nations treaty in BC, and joined the Metro Vancouver Regional District with full control over their lands. Since then, they have invested in many economic and real estate partnerships with developers, including Tsawwassen Mills Mall and Tsawwassen Shores and Tsawwassen Springs master-planned communities and golf course.

“Aquilini Development company has had a fruitful partnership with both the Tsawwassen and MST corporations, on Tsawwassen land, and one with MST,” says Aquilini’s vice-president of sales and marketing, Linda Broda.

“With nearly 400 homes sold and over 200 families already in our first community, Tsawwassen Shores, our partnership with a group of Tsawwassen First Nation landowners has created a robust and flourishing neighbourhood.”

The largest parcel of land controlled by MST is what has become known as the “Jericho Lands”, 90 acres of prime undeveloped real estate on the West Side of Vancouver overlooking Jericho Beach and Spanish Banks. In 2014, a $307-million deal saw the eastern portion of the land as well as two other large properties transferred from the federal government to the three nations and the Canada Lands Corporation (CLC), a crown corporation. In 2016, the province sold the western portion to MST for $480 million in a landmark deal, arrived at after the three nations and the Lil’wat Nation served as the four host nations at the 2010 winter Olympics. The three nations and CLC are also developing the Heather Lands, a 21-acre site between 33rd and 37th avenues at Heather Street. The Jericho and Heather Lands projects conform to the city of Vancouver’s goals of moving toward reconciliation, densification, transportation growth and housing affordability.

The density, architecture and design of these projects are in the planning stages and will be going forward in conjunction with extensive public consultations. “This is a huge opportunity to do things in a way that nobody else does,” explains Squamish councillor and spokesperson Khelsilem. “When MST does a development, we do it like nobody else in the city does it. We’re very proud of that and we’re very excited about that,” he said.

More developers are getting on board all the time – Mosaic in Tsawwassen and BlueSky Properties in Squamish, to name just two. Aqulini is continuing with more projects after its past successes, with Seymour Village in North Vancouver with the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, and more homes on the way in Tsawwassen.

“This year, we launched our second partnership community, Boardwalk,” says Broda. “Currently previewing, this brand-new waterfront community will be filled with fresh, modern design and thoughtful amenities created for today’s families.”