By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

land transfer

3,000 hectares of land returned to Snuneymuxw First Nation, lawsuit against province dropped

Sep 22, 2020 | 8:15 PM

NANAIMO — Snuneymuxw First Nation has grown with the return of roughly 3,000 hectares of land.

The land parcels are predominantly on Mt. McKay, just south of the Nanaimo River, and on the back of Mt. Benson.

Snuneymuxw chief Mike Wyse said receiving the land is a significant result following a considerable amount of work.

“It enables us to move into the future economically and sustain our people,” Wyse told NanaimoNewsNOW. “It’s going to provide a lot for people in the mid-island region.”

Wyse said SFN’s relationship with mid-island forestry companies and existing contracts will hopefully build roughly 160 new jobs as work begins to harvest the land’s timber.

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“We’ve looked at the timber on that property, it’s very significant and will bring a lot of good economic development to the community.”

In exchange for the land, SFN agreed to drop a 2001 lawsuit against the province over log booming concerns in the Nanaimo River estuary and its impact on its right to fish in the area.

SFN currently oversees approximately 2,100 acres of land on Mt. Benson through its economic development arm.

Public engagement must occur before the lands are officially transferred to SFN.

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