The Musqueam Indian Band got some good news and some sad news this year.
First, the good news: After more than two years of protest and subsequent negotiations, the band became the owner of a one-acre piece of property in Marpole. The land was at the centre of a lengthy dispute that involved the discovery of ancestral remains on a site planned for a condominium complex.
The bad news: Longtime chief, Ernie Campbell, who chose not to seek another term last year after a combined 14 years at the helm, died in October from complications related to diabetes. He was 72.
Those two events coupled with Campbell’s son-in-law, Wayne Sparrow, leading the band in his first year as chief and the Musqueam’s participation in Truth and Reconciliation ceremonies, made for a memorable year for the band.
It is why the Courier has chosen the Musqueam Indian Band, whose main reserve in South Vancouver has seen the recent development of a community centre and cultural centre, as a candidate for Newsmaker of the Year.
The land in question in Marpole involved property owners Gary and Fran Hackett and Century Group HQ Developments Ltd. The Hacketts, a retired couple from Saanich, were equal partners with Century Group and planned to build a 108-unit condominium complex in the 1300-block Southwest Marine Drive.
The owners acquired all the necessary city and government permits to go ahead with the project. But the Hacketts and Hodgins agreed to stop work on the property in early 2011 after archeologists discovered human remains of two adults and two infants, which the Musqueam believed to be their ancestors.
The discovery led to the band engaging in a lengthy protest outside the property, which included members shutting down the Arthur Laing Bridge during a morning rush hour. Grand Chief Shawn Atleo, Mayor Gregor Robertson and NDP leader Adrian Dix supported the band’s fight for the land.
The case was significant for Vancouver and the rest of the province because it pitted a First Nation’s beliefs against the rights of private property owners.
The provincial government declined to intervene but promised the Musqueam at least $4.8 million to help resolve the land dispute with the property owners. The money was owed to the band as per a previous agreement related to the government’s South Fraser Perimeter Road project in Delta and Surrey, which falls on traditional Musqueam lands.
In December 2012, the property owners allowed the band to bury the remains on the property. Eventually, in October of this year, the band reached a deal with the owners to buy the land, which the Musqueam plan to turn into a memorial park. Details of the deal were not disclosed.
A few weeks after the Musqueam celebrated the deal, the band was in mourning after Campbell died in hospital. A ceremony to mark his death was held in the band’s community centre, which members said was a good example of the progress Campbell brought to the Musqueam people.
Campbell was chief during the 2010 Winter Olympics and negotiated a deal with governments that ensured economic, social and cultural benefits from the Games. The former chief also negotiated a landmark agreement in 2008 that saw the provincial government turn over the University of B.C. Golf Course lands, property near Sea Island Way in Richmond and two parcels in Pacific Spirit Regional Park. The deal included a payment of $20.3 million.
“To get those chunks of land back was quite an accomplishment for our community,” said Sparrow, who was elected chief last December.
The Vancouver Courier’s Newsmaker of the Year will be announced Dec. 11. To participate in our Newsmaker of the Year Reader’s Choice vote, go to the web poll at vancourier.com, email your vote at [email protected] or write to 1574 West Sixth Ave., Vancouver, V6J 1R2. You can also make your vote known on Twitter at #VanNewsmaker or The Vancouver Courier Newspaper on Facebook.
