The Tsawwassen First Nation treaty officially took effect on April 3, 2009. It is the first urban treaty in the history of British Columbia and the first modern treaty negotiated under the British Columbia Treaty Commission process.
Tsawwassen members voted 70 per cent in favour of ratifying the Final Agreement on July 25, 2007.
The treaty provides a capital transfer and other one-time cash payments of $33.6 million and self-government funding of $2.9 million annually over the first five years of the treaty. The land component includes approximately 724 hectares, of which 434 hectares are provincial Crown land and 290 hectares are former Indian reserve.
Tsawwassen First Nation treaty settlement legislation passed third reading in the provincial legislature on November 7, 2007; it received Royal Assent on November 22. The Legislation received Royal Assent in the Canadian House of Commons on June 26, 2008.
- 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.
- Received Royal Assent in Ottawa on June 26, 2008.
- On April 3, 2009, the Tsawwassen First Nation treaty took effect.
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 approximately 400 Coast Salish people who belong to the Hun’qum’i’num linguistic group.
Tsawwassen means: Land facing the sea.
