On July 25, 2007, Tsawwassen members voted 70 per cent in favour of ratifying the Final Agreement, which provides the First Nation with approximately 724 hectares of treaty settlement land and a cash transfer of $13.9 million over 10 years. The treaty also defines the rights and responsibilities of the Tsawwassen on their traditional territory, which covers approximately 279,600 hectares of land, including the waters of the southern Strait of Georgia.
On November 7, 2007, Tsawwassen First Nation treaty settlement legislation passed third reading in the provincial legislature; it received Royal Assent on November 22. It has been put before the Canadian House of Commons for approval.
- The Tsawwassen First Nation entered the treaty process in December 1993.
- In 2004, an Agreement-in-Principle was signed.
- Negotiators initialled a draft Final Agreement in 2006.
- On July 25, 2007, the Tsawwassen First Nation voted to accept the Final Agreement.
- On November 7, 2007, the Tsawwassen First Nation treaty settlement legislation passes third and final reading in provincial legislature.
Location: On the Strait of Georgia near the Tsawwassen ferry terminal, approximately 25 km south of Vancouver.
Band members: The Tsawwassen First Nation is a group of 358 Coast Salish people who belong to the Hun’qum’i’num linguistic group.
Tsawwassen means: Land facing the sea.
