The Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway's Wellcox Yard - 11 Feb 2003 Rick Ruppenthal.

18 December 2012

Snuneymuxw Chief Irked City Didn't Consult on Wellcox

Nanaimo Vancouver Island British Columbia - Nanaimo city officials did not include the Snuneymuxw First Nation in discussions for a new transit exchange in south Nanaimo, an oversight Chief Doug White calls "disappointing" and difficult to understand.
 
The City of Nanaimo recently announced it is working on a $3.4 million land deal for half the Wellcox rail yard on the south waterfront. The purchase hinges on an environmental review, but if successful, city officials say several acres of the land will be used for a new transit exchange for the Regional District of Nanaimo.
 
The deal is news to the Snuneymuxw, according to White.
 
He says the band was not included in land-purchase discussions nor informed about the partnership with the RDN despite earlier pleas for government officials to respect treaty rights and include the Snuneymuxw in the preliminary discussions around the use of traditional lands.
 
The Wellcox property is of "critical" importance to the Snuneymuxw as a former winter village site. "I will definitely be having a conversation with city officials and asking that we be involved in decision-making for that piece of land, which we not only have significant legal rights to under our treaty, but it's also adjacent to our existing community," White said.
 
"The city understands that and why they proceeded without talking to us first is beyond me."
 
The City of Nanaimo announced Thursday it was in the process of a land purchase agreement for half of the Canadian Pacific Rail lands. The move was opportunistic and not planned on prior to this fall, according to Mayor John Ruttan.
 
About three years ago, Canadian Pacific Railway listed its 54 acre property for sale at $7.9 million, it was beyond city budget and "too much land" for city officials to consider at the time, Ruttan said.
 
This fall CP Rail reportedly approached city staff members with an offer to sell only a portion of the waterfront real estate. The RDN also came forward as a potential partner in the agreement, leading to the $3.4 million purchase.
 
"It just looked like a good opportunity to acquire water-front that would suit the needs of the city and the RDN so we made the offer," Ruttan said, adding the area could eventually become a transportation hub.
 
The mayor mentioned the city's offer for the Wellcox land in conversations with White, but said it was important to wait for CP Rail to accept the deal before the city engaged in discussions about future land use. There was no guarantee the offer would be accepted. The deal was finalized this month.
 
"It's fairly recent, and yes, I have not had a chance to talk to Chief White, but I certainly will," Ruttan said. "It's the intention of the city to work very closely with... the SFN as we move forward, as well as with the RDN and the Nanaimo Port Authority."
 
Tamara Cunningham.