NANAIMO — A significant piece of land in the city’s downtown is being returned back to its original owners.
Snuneymuxw First Nation Chief Michael Wyse announced on Monday, July 15 the return of 2.67 hectares of land, the site of the former Howard Johnson Hotel, through a joint purchase by the province and the First Nation.
Total cost of the project is $28.5 million, of which the province is covering $26 million.
“The rightful return of this land will positively impact our Snuneymuxw citizens, residents of Nanaimo, this region as a whole and all who visit the downtown area,” Wyse said Monday. “By returning this land to Snuneymuxw, we are not only honouring treaty commitments but also supporting the shared economic goals and aspirations that our Nation has with your government.”
Included in Monday’s announcement was $1 million in security, demolition and remediation costs.
Wyse said the First Nation has plans to revitalize the area, however it was unclear how much of the original vision for the property would remain.
“We are now poised to breathe new life into our sxwayxum village. We will bring it back to life and restore it to a condition where communities will thrive and our Snuneymuxw people will have a fundamental connection to the village.”
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The purchase likely closes a long, drawn-out disagreement between Snuneymuxw First Nation, the CIty of Nanaimo, the provincial government and private land developers.
Proposed at the site, comprising lots on Terminal Ave., Comox Rd. and Mill St., were around 760 residential units, a hotel and commercial retail space.
Support from the wider community had been overwhelmingly positive, with both public hearings held on the project drawing largely positive feedback from neighbours.
Snuneymuxw First Nation were less than supportive of the proposal, however.
Opposition from SFN tabled publicly in September 2022, then again in May 2023 during the City’s rezoning process ultimately forcing Council to take a step backwards in their plans.
After initially giving third reading to the project in 2023, Council returned it to a public hearing in March 2024 only to re-give third reading the following month.
Among primary concerns included environmental issues, failure to “satisfactorily address” the archaeological significance of the property and what SFN deemed inadequate consultation.
In a letter, SFN Chief Mike Wyse said ancestral burials have previously been uncovered in the area and excavation work to allow for underground parking would likely disturb more.
More to come.
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