Snuneymuxw First Nation Chief Michael Wyse speaks at Maffeo Sutton Park on Monday, July 15, flanked by Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Murray Rankin. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

downtown development

Province, Snuneymuxw purchase former Howard Johnson site to ‘breathe new life’ into Nanaimo property

Jul 15, 2024 | 11:32 AM

NANAIMO — A significant piece of land in the city’s downtown is being returned to its original owners.

Snuneymuxw First Nation Chief Michael Wyse announced on Monday, July 15 the return of 6.6 acres (2.67 hectares), the site of the former Howard Johnson Hotel, through a joint purchase by the province and the First Nation.

Total cost of the purchase is $28.5 million, of which the province is covering nearly $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 at a news conference at Maffeo Sutton Park. “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 the announcement was $1 million in provincial money for security, demolition and remediation costs. The property’s most recent valuation is $16.195 million, according to BC Assessment.

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Snuneymuxw First Nation hopes to have the current derelict buildings demolished in the next four months, before preparing the property for development.

Wyse said the First Nation has loose plans to revitalize the area.

“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.”

Located at the corner of Terminal Ave. and Comox Rd, the former Howard Johnson Hotel has continued to go into a state of disrepair since closing in 2018. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

What shape re-development comes in, is still unknown.

Wyse said no decisions have been made on shape, form or character of the site, or how much of the old vision will remain.

“We haven’t got to that stage yet. It’s obviously a sacred village site we want to reconnect to as a community. When it comes time to put plans forward, we’ll bring that forward to our friends at the City and look at what we can do there.”

The provincial government will maintain ownership of the site over the coming months, until demolition and clean up of the site is complete.

It will then be officially put into Snuneymuxw control.

Minster of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Murray Rankin said the purchase is about righting past wrongs.

“From our perspective, it’s 170 years since the Douglas Treaty where promises were made that would be protected as a village site, it obviously hasn’t been so this is part of our journey of reconciliation together to make sure that’s restored,” Rankin said.

Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog said this move gives clear direction for a high-profile and important site.

The hotel shut down in October 2018 and has remained boarded up ever since.

“It’s been derelict for a long time, it is an eyesore. You come into our beautiful downtown and you look to the left and you see this magnificent park in which we’re gathered here…and on the right you see a dump. I am very excited to see certainty brought.”

High-rise buildings and more modest medium-rise structures were planned at the site of the former Howard Johnson hotel. (City of Nanaimo/D’Ambrosio Architecture + Urbanism)

The purchase 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.

Snuneymuxw First Nation elder Lolly Good welcomes those attending Monday’s announcement at Maffeo Sutton Park. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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