The B.C. government has signed an agreement with three Lower Mainland First Nations that includes the sale of Burnaby’s Willingdon Lands and the Liquor Distribution Branch warehouse site in Vancouver.
The agreement with the Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh and Squamish nations outlines how the proceeds of Crown land sales within the bands’ territories will be shared and how to develop the properties in partnership with the government.
“This agreement is so important for our three communities and we hope it sets a positive example of what can be achieved when we truly work together as one,” Tsleil-Waututh Chief Maureen Thomas said in a news release.
Andrew Wilkinson, the minister of technology, innovation and citizens services, called the agreement “historic” in a written statement.
Under the agreement, the Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh have purchased the Willingdon Lands at Willingdon Avenue and Canada Way, while all three nations have signed a contract to buy the LDB warehouse site on East Broadway. Representatives of the three nations could not be reached for comment on what the lands will be used for.
The sale price for the Willingdon property was $57.9 million, a price that the province says was based on an independent appraisal. The LDB property sale is expected to close by the fall, at which time the price will be publicly available.
