Overview
- Three former Department of National Defence parcels totaling 194.7 acres were added to reserve status at te'tuxwtun in Nanaimo through the federal addition-to-reserve process.
- Snuneymuxw plans a mixed-use precinct with housing, commercial space, cultural and recreational facilities, and upgraded infrastructure adjacent to Vancouver Island University.
- Officials highlighted that Snuneymuxw has one of B.C.’s smallest reserve land bases per person and cast the expansion as a step in reconciliation.
- Earlier this year, Canada finalized a $42 million Teytexen Village Specific Claim settlement addressing unfulfilled promises under the 1854 Douglas Treaty.
- In parallel, B.C. transferred more than 700 hectares on Mount Benson in July toward a 2020 pledge to return over 3,000 hectares to the Nation.