This winter we held our third round of family gatherings for our community plan. Members were extremely supportive of our “Heart of the Community” land use plan concept, and this was used to help Musqueam successfully bid on the Four Host Aboriginal Pavilion, which will be our new Cultural Education Centre and will be located across from the new Community Centre. Site preparation has also begun for the new Sports Field on the 5-acre site.
There will be a New Projects Open House on May 6th from 3 to 7pm in the Administration Building.
Preparing for Tomorrow
In January, a Self-Governance Special Committee was formed. By negotiating a Self-Governance Framework, Musqueam seeks to develop a new relationship between Musqueam and Canada, including certainty with respect to the authority and jurisdiction of Musqueam’s government. Ongoing engagement with the Musqueam community will begin with an Elders Lunch on Wednesday May 5th from 12 to 2 pm.
Garden City Lands Update In March 2005, Musqueam entered into a MOU partnership with Richmond and Canada Lands Company (CLC) to share in the benefits of ownership. (The MOU included removal from the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) and rezoning for residential / commercial use. Attempts to remove the lands from the ALR failed.) Last October, Richmond sent an unsolicited offer to purchase the property from Musqueam and CLC for $59.7 million. This March, the sale to Richmond completed, with an agreement to exchange a property owned by CLC for part of Musqueam’s equity in the Garden City Lands. On April 27, CLC transferred ownership of the Nokia building in Burnaby, which will generate annual income to Musqueam of $1.7million. In consideration of Richmond’s behavior under the terms of its agreement - and the prospects of its future actions related to the property - Musqueam has commenced legal action to protect remaining interests in the MOU.
To download this Newsletter Click here (PDF).
As part of our participation as one of four Host Nations for the Olympic Games, we recently signed onto a Shared Legacies Agreement that will create a special Legacy Trust Fund established by Musqueam for the benefit of present and future members. Under the Agreement, this Trust cannot be used for normal operations or for distribution to members.
The Legacy Trust Fund can be used to support five different types of activities:
- Acquisition of land for Musqueam
- Capacity building
- Enhancement of skills and training
- Preservation and strengthening of Musqueam culture and ceremonies
- Economic opportunities for Musqueam
The We Speak with One Heart and Mind community planning project would like to hear from you. Which of
activities do you think are most important? Why?
Share your ideas in person by attending one of several upcoming community Legacy Trust Fund workshops (dates
will be posted on the website and advertised in community newsletter). You can also visit the new community
planning website at www.1heart1mind.ca and add your comments in the form under the Legacy Trust Fund tab.
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In the spring of 2009 we held an administration open house. This was in response to our members wanting to interact more with our staff and learn what the different departments are doing. The event was held in the gym, in a career fair booth style. Each department had a booth with 3 to 4 panels sharing information on their department's programs and activities.
The panels of all the departments were compiled into one document that contains information for each department. On what they do, who is involved, what are their opportunities and challenges, as well as where they want to go in both the short and long term.
The administration Open House was held on June 4th, 2009. Click here to download all the administration panels presented in the open house (PDF).
The Sports Facility planning has been underway since early 2008, when the potential facility and program were identified as a quick start opportunity of the Comprehensive Sustainable Community Development Plan (CSCDP). The opportunity is heavily supported by the broader community (90% support reported in the Community Survey) and immediate action inspired by a $500,000 legacy fund that is for a sports field. In addition, the Community recognized that this facility would be central to the health and well-being of the membership, as well as an integral part of the long term land use plan.
This report highlights the community outreach involved in the planning, and explains the evaluation criteria that was used to locate the new field. The report also includes the concept plan for the field and facilities.
This report was presented in the General Band Meeting on March 26th, 2009. Click here to download the Sports Facility Planning Brief (PDF).
Our community recently completed a comprehensive community survey. This is the ninth of several snapshots highlighting the results. These will be released in the order of importance that members gave each survey section. The survey sections match up with the Comprehensive Community Plan objectives that have been developed through meetings, workshops and open houses to guide the final plan.
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