Quatsino First Nation
COAL HARBOUR/VANCOUVER ISAND – Western Forest Products Inc. (Western) and Quatsino First Nation (Quatsino) announced today the completion of an agreement for a wholly-owned limited partnership of Quatsino to purchase a parcel of Western’s private land near Coal Harbour.
The purchase of the 172-hectare property, which is located on the east side of Stephen’s Bay at Coal Harbour and near Quatsino’s Subdivision 18, supports Quatsino’s longstanding goal to return its 595- member nation to a waterfront location for the community.
“I would like to thank previous Chief James Nelson for his leadership in negotiations that brought us this far. I also acknowledge our previous Council members Dawn Willie, Percy Nelson, as well as our current Councillors Hunter Ballentyne, Sonja Conroy, Patricia Hall, Richard Nelson and James Wallas. And I also acknowledge our Quatsino staff and our valued partners for their unified efforts in negotiating this with Western Forest Products. Our children will finally have a beach to play on again; it’s been many years since we have had that opportunity. I’m thankful to be here to see this happen, as we all lived by the ocean for many years,” said Chief Tom Nelson.
“Re-establishing a waterfront community is important for the Quatsino and we are pleased to support turning this aspiration into reality,” said Shannon Janzen, Western’s Vice President, Partnerships and Sustainability and Chief Forester. “Reconciliation is a journey and we are committed to working together to find ways to meet the Nation’s interests while supporting a long-term vibrant and renewable forest sector on the North Island. We know we will be stronger together and this is just one step towards a longterm working relationship built on trust and respect for each other’s interests.”
In the coming months, Quatsino will engage with local stakeholders, including local government, as they work through the Addition to Reserve process, administered by Indigenous Services Canada, in the establishment of a new community for Quatsino Nation Members. The land will be used for community housing and the building of a Big House so Quatsino youth can practice their culture in a Quatsino Big House again.
The agreement marks a significant step forward in the long-standing relationship between Quatsino and Western. Most recently, in September 2020, Western, Quatsino and the Province signed a Memorandum of Understanding that creates a framework for working together to pave the way towards greater predictability for sustainable forest management on the North Island.