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Hamilton Spectator
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
B.C., Vancouver, First Nations sign deal to partner in planning, hosting World Cup
VANCOUVER - British Columbia's government, the City of Vancouver and three First Nations have signed an agreement to co-operate on hosting the seven World Cup games being played in the city next year. In a ceremony on Friday, Premier David Eby, Mayor Ken Sim, Musqueam Chief Wayne Sparrow, Squamish Nation councillor Wilson Williams and Tsleil-Waututh councillor Deanna George signed a memorandum of understanding to ensure 'interests of the nations are reflected throughout' the planning and hosting of the games. Sparrow said the location of the ceremony — a facility on Musqueam land used during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games — is symbolic of how local communities can benefit from events such as the World Cup. The B.C. government said the agreement is a framework on how the five parties will work together in planning, staging and hosting the World Cup games, as well as developing approaches to shared opportunities. Organizers are expecting the seven World Cup games in Vancouver to draw about 350,000 spectators to BC Place Stadium and to add more than a million out-of-province visitors between 2026 and 2031. They say that will generate direct and indirect provincial tax revenues of up to $224 million. The B.C. government issued a release this week saying the net core provincial cost of hosting the games is in the range of $85 million to $145 million. Organizers announced last year that the estimated cost of hosting the seven games more than doubled to between $483 million and $581 million, which includes costs for the city, the province and stadium upgrades. Eby said the agreement gives the province a unique opportunity to not only demonstrate the co-operation between governments and First Nations, but to also showcase Indigenous culture to the world. 'In this time of global turmoil and strife, it is a chance to demonstrate how we do things in British Columbia, how we work together to create something amazing,' Eby said. 'It is a huge opportunity for us culturally, economically, and yet another chance to demonstrate the British Columbia way of doing business.' Sparrow said the Musqueam community had relied on 'a small piece of grass' for its soccer needs before the 2010 Olympics, but the Games brought about the construction of the current facility, featuring a turf field, a grass field and a clubhouse. 'Where we stand today was how we came together in the 2010 Olympics and put our differences aside and came together as family and worked together,' Sparrow said at the ceremony site on Friday. 'Now that we have a place for our kids to play. And that shows how when we come together and our sport brings us together, that we have the opportunity now for our kids to have a place.' Williams, the Squamish chief, said the World Cup — with the First Nations acting as host partners — presents B.C. with an even greater opportunity to draw more major international sporting events. 'The experience when people come off those planes, come ashore, come and visit, the retention of the experience they're going to have is going to be so memorable and so strong, there's no way they're going to turn down a request that we're hosting the World Cup in the future — and any world international event for that matter.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2025.
CTV News
14 hours ago
- Sport
- CTV News
B.C., Vancouver, First Nations sign deal to partner in planning, hosting World Cup
B.C. Premier David Eby, centre, Musqueam Nation Chief Wayne Sparrow, right, and Squamish Nation councillor Wilson Williams, left, sign soccer balls after announcing a memorandum of understanding regarding hosting FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, in Vancouver, on Friday, June 27, 2025. The MOU between the provincial government, city and the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations sets out a framework on how they will all work together to plan, stage and host matches, while ensuring interests of the nations are reflected. (Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press)
Winnipeg Free Press
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
B.C., Vancouver, First Nations sign deal to partner in planning, hosting World Cup
VANCOUVER – British Columbia's government, the City of Vancouver and three First Nations have signed an agreement to co-operate on hosting the seven World Cup games being played in the city next year. In a ceremony on Friday, Premier David Eby, Mayor Ken Sim, Musqueam Chief Wayne Sparrow, Squamish Nation councillor Wilson Williams and Tsleil-Waututh councillor Deanna George signed a memorandum of understanding to ensure 'interests of the nations are reflected throughout' the planning and hosting of the games. Sparrow said the location of the ceremony — a facility on Musqueam land used during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games — is symbolic of how local communities can benefit from events such as the World Cup. The B.C. government said the agreement is a framework on how the five parties will work together in planning, staging and hosting the World Cup games, as well as developing approaches to shared opportunities. Organizers are expecting the seven World Cup games in Vancouver to draw about 350,000 spectators to BC Place Stadium and to add more than a million out-of-province visitors between 2026 and 2031. They say that will generate direct and indirect provincial tax revenues of up to $224 million. The B.C. government issued a release this week saying the net core provincial cost of hosting the games is in the range of $85 million to $145 million. Organizers announced last year that the estimated cost of hosting the seven games more than doubled to between $483 million and $581 million, which includes costs for the city, the province and stadium upgrades. Eby said the agreement gives the province a unique opportunity to not only demonstrate the co-operation between governments and First Nations, but to also showcase Indigenous culture to the world. 'In this time of global turmoil and strife, it is a chance to demonstrate how we do things in British Columbia, how we work together to create something amazing,' Eby said. 'It is a huge opportunity for us culturally, economically, and yet another chance to demonstrate the British Columbia way of doing business.' Sparrow said the Musqueam community had relied on 'a small piece of grass' for its soccer needs before the 2010 Olympics, but the Games brought about the construction of the current facility, featuring a turf field, a grass field and a clubhouse. 'Where we stand today was how we came together in the 2010 Olympics and put our differences aside and came together as family and worked together,' Sparrow said at the ceremony site on Friday. 'Now that we have a place for our kids to play. And that shows how when we come together and our sport brings us together, that we have the opportunity now for our kids to have a place.' Williams, the Squamish chief, said the World Cup — with the First Nations acting as host partners — presents B.C. with an even greater opportunity to draw more major international sporting events. 'The experience when people come off those planes, come ashore, come and visit, the retention of the experience they're going to have is going to be so memorable and so strong, there's no way they're going to turn down a request that we're hosting the World Cup in the future — and any world international event for that matter.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2025.
Hamilton Spectator
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Squamish Nation regains 20,000 hectares of ancestral land
For video, see: Two decades of planning and negotiations result in an historic land use agreement with the province. History was made Thursday with a massive land agreement between the province and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation). Earlier Thursday afternoon, the province announced the signing of a land use agreement ( X̱ay Temíxw ) with the Nation that adds 20,000 hectares of legally protected land—equal to about 50 Stanley Parks, or nearly double the land area of Vancouver—to the Nation's territory. Among the officials and attendees at the long-awaited announcement, which took place at the summit of the Sea-to-Sky Gondola on June 26, was Nation council chairperson Khelsilem, councillor and spokesperson Sxwíxwtn Wilson Williams , Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Randene Neill , and B.C.'s Minister of Forests and deputy government house leader Ravi Parmar . The historic agreement conserves 33 Siiyamin ta Skwxwu7mesh (cultural sites) and landmarks, covering approximately 4,250 hectares. This designation preserves these areas for Squamish cultural use, meaning there will be no forestry, third-party land rights or industrial activity on this land. Squamish Nation member and lawyer Aaron Bruce has been working on the project for almost 20 years and explained that the rules around the 33 cultural sites ensure no new tenures will be allowed on the lands. 'If there's a tenure in the area already, because there are tenures on the land base where we did negotiate these, they would be allowed to run their term out, but then they wouldn't be able to be renewed unless this Squamish Nation agreed to that,' Bruce told The Squamish Chief. The agreement further establishes six new special cultural management areas covering approximately 16,000 hectares, including on the west side of Howe Sound, Shannon Basin and Alice Ridge, which would be subject to enhanced cedar and other old forest stewardship and other measures that further the Nation's cultural interests. This also allows for logging to occur within those areas but under a strict set of rules. 'Just generally, it allows logging to happen in those areas, but there's a set of special rules, which really focus on the old growth on culturally modified trees, and to avoid those areas within the special cultural management area,' Bruce said. 'Rather than just saying a straight 'no,' the logging proponent has an opportunity to selectively log within the rules.' Bruce said that spiritual bathing, harvesting cedar bark plants, or special hunting could be part of the old forest stewardships. At the announcement, Nation councillor Williams said the agreement would provide additional protection and management oversight in key areas across the Squamish territory. 'The agreement also includes provisions for future work on the shoreline and marine areas within our territory. [It is] a major step forward in asserting our Nation's role as stewards of our lands and ensuring our culture sites and key environmental areas are protected for future generations,' Williams said. Similarly, Khelsilem said the land agreement marked a historic achievement for the Squamish Nation. 'To get to this point, to see ... that we are, in effect, protecting the equivalent of 50 Stanley Parks through this agreement with the province is a huge, amazing achievement for us,' he said. 'This work is so critical and integral to who we are as Squamish People, because who we are is defined by what we do on our land.' Khelsilem said the agreement would provide protection for ancient forests that are between 1,400 to 8,000 years old. 'We're also protecting areas that have important sacred and cultural value to our people, that have been shared and documented by our Elders and our people,' he said. '[These are] places that our ancestors have used for generations, for spiritual training, for cultural training, for the upbringing of our young people, so that they can understand who they are and where they come from. 'We have very few places that we can call our own within our territory to practice our spiritual beliefs and our cultural practices, and we have to stand together as Squamish People to protect those areas, so that our people, not just today but future generations, will be able to experience the gifts that our ancestors had for us. 'To be able to bathe in those creeks, to have a relationship with those mountains, to be in those forests, to harvest our medicines and our tools and the things that we have sustained us … these things are so important to our people.' Khelsilem also noted that while a portion of the 33 cultural sites and landmarks may be hard to access, this is due to their level of sacredness. 'It's a truly proud moment for all of us to celebrate that we are protecting our territory through partnership and through a strong relationship, through a recognition of title and rights, and we're moving past those other eras where we were denied and ignored and erased from our territory,' he said. Parmar said the work behind the agreement was to create a place for the future Squamish Nation generations. 'You have to think seven generations ahead. You have to think over 100 years ahead. And that's what we're doing with this work here today,' the forestry minister said. 'By honouring Squamish Nation's connection to the land and applying their values to forest management, we are charting a new path forward that should be acknowledged and celebrated. 'A path that supports both economic opportunity and prosperity and environmental stewardship for our province and a future rooted in respect reconciliation and that economic prosperity that we're all working towards,' he said. Parmar also told The Squamish Chief that the provincial government will continue to work with the Squamish Nation on the agreement for years to come. 'Now that this agreement is signed, our work doesn't stop. Our work continues with the Squamish Nation and all across the province,' he said. 'We've got incredible people in the forest service who are working hard each and every day to support the Squamish Nation on their stewardship visions.' Meanwhile, Minister Neill said time has shown many people that nature is one of greatest allies in adapting to climate change and supporting a healthy community. 'For me, one of the most compelling aspects of this agreement are the protections and the stewardship of the riparian and wetland ecosystems as we understand how vital and critical they are to the success and health of our province,' she said. 'Enhanced stewardship practices, including protecting old growth, ensuring the availability of forest resources for cultural activities and the protection and restoration of our salmon. Bringing the salmon home again. The province has also committed to working in future with the Squamish Nation in leadership on areas of interest within the marine foreshore environment as well.' •According to the Nation, the Xay Temixw land use plan was completed more than two decades ago, in 2001, and finalized for release to the public by the Nation council in 2023. The plan identified large areas to be protected from forestry activities and outlined a general land use planning vision for the Squamish territory. •In 2007, the Squamish Nation and the provincial government entered into a land use planning agreement to resolve some of the areas for protection, but several areas identified by the Nation were not resolved at that time. •In 2021, the Nation's rights and title staff began Phase 2 negotiations with the provincial government to address the unresolved areas. Ina Pace is The Squamish Chief's Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) Reporter. This reporting was produced through the LJI, which supports original civic journalism across Canada. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. 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CTV News
a day ago
- General
- CTV News
‘Sky's the limit as long as we work together': Squamish Nation, province reach land agreement
The province and the Squamish Nation have signed an agreement that they say will guide forest stewardship in the Sea to Sky region.
