British Columbia's first modern-day urban aboriginal treaty takes effect Friday and will be marked by a ceremony at the Tsawwassen First Nation.
It took more than 15 years of negotiations to reach the land and cash deal that gives the tiny, 372-member First Nation ownership of more than 700 hectares of some of the most fertile agricultural land in Canada.
The Tsawwassen First Nation is located on the shores of the Fraser River delta, bordered on one side by the B.C. Ferries terminal at Tsawwassen and on the other by the Roberts Bank Superport.
With about six weeks to go until the May 12 provincial election, the treaty highlights what some believe is a shift in aboriginal politics in the province.
Premier Gordon Campbell's Liberals, who initially opposed treaties, will celebrate the success of negotiating the first official deal.
Since signing the Tsawwassen treaty, the province has completed final agreements with five more first nations.
