A new agreement between Tla’Amin (Sliammon) First Nation and Powell River Regional Economic Development Society (PRREDS) is being hailed as the first of its kind in BC, if not Canada.
Sliammon Development Corporation (SDC) has entered into a fee-for-service agreement with PRREDS. The value of the contract, which was signed in November 2011, is $20,000 per year.
Scott Randolph, PRREDS manager, will provide investment attraction, business development and investment readiness services. He will be assisting with the implementation of SDC’s economic development strategy and with other business ventures, such as aquaculture and commercial fishing.
“We think it’s really exciting,” said Roy Francis, SDC president. “I believe it’s the first of its kind, in terms of a first nation and a city council partnering up to improve economic development for both of us.”
The agreement signifies an improvement in the relationship that’s evolved between Tla’Amin and the City of Powell River, Francis said. “We want to see that relationship continue to build,” he said.
Randolph said the contract brings together basically all economic development functions in the region under one umbrella. “We’re working together quite closely,” he said. “From what we can tell, it’s the only relationship of its kind in the province; maybe the country, but we’re not sure about the country.”
Chief negotiators for Tla’Amin, Canada, and BC initialled a final agreement in October 2011. The agreement contains provisions for self-government and financial and land transfers. The land component consists of about 8,322 hectares of treaty lands that include surface and sub-surface resources. The total includes 1,917 hectares of former Indian Reserves and 6,405 hectares of provincial Crown lands.
Tla’Amin members will vote on the treaty in June. However, the initialling event triggered the transfer of four land packages that will be owned by Tla’Amin before ratification. The lands include a parcel in Okeover, known as the oyster plant parcel, three district lots along Tanner Avenue, filled foreshore parcels in Lund and a lot on Wharf Street that currently has a parking lot on it.
Randolph will assist with early transfer of lands and developing a business plan for the parcels, Francis said. “It’s a very exciting thing,” he said. “Our development corporation members and our council will basically be building a plan for those lands.”
If a majority of band members ratify the final agreement, Tla’Amin will own over 6,400 hectares of land, Randolph noted. “That’s a lot of resources and assets within the region,” he said. “It opens up a lot of opportunity because there’s surety there. It will be a massive undertaking when treaty is done and those lands are transferred.” Randolph is also analyzing the lands and the assets and identifying development opportunities.
The agreement between SDC and PRREDS has a provision for two voting positions on the PRREDS board of directors for SDC board members and two voting positions on the SDC board for PRREDS board members.
