Squamish Nation members vote 'yes' to hundreds of new affordable housing units
Members of the Squamish Nation have voted in favour of building three affordable housing projects over the next few years.
The decision came on July 28 when members took to the polls in a referendum on a land use proposal put forward by the band council.
“We can now move forward with developments on three parcels of land that will provide hundreds of new affordable housing options for Squamish families, and get us closer to our goal of bringing all Squamish people home within a generation,” reads a statement on the Nation’s website.
Squamish Nation councillor Khelsilem took to Twitter to share his excitement of the decision and characterized the results as an “overwhelming majority.” Construction will begin on 94 units this fall, Khesilem said.
The units will be available exclusively to members of the Squamish Nation.
“We want all of our relatives to be taken care of, to be able to live within our community, our ancient villages, our lineages that connect us to these lands,” said Chief Ian Campbell in a statement.
The projects will include a mix of different housing types. A series of townhomes on Mathias Road on the Nation’s North Shore reserve land, to be built next to the Elders Centre, will include 94 units of affordable housing for independent elders, families and youth, and it will also include a co-op grocery store and community garden.
A second development, to be built in the town of Squamish, B.C., could include 30 units, which would be a mix of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units.
A third development, in North Vancouver, next to the Phibbs Exchange bus station, could include a tower that accommodates a mix of studio, and one-, two- and three-bedroom units.
According to the website for the nation’s housing development project, called Bring Squamish Home, the referendum for the land use was necessary under the Indian Act.
"Indigenous Services Canada requires that Squamish members vote on whether to designate land for high-density affordable housing,” it reads.
Council also has plans to designate three more sites for affordable housing within the next two years.
“Together, these six sites represent the largest land designation for affordable housing in our Nation’s history and will provide hundreds of homes that meet the needs of our People,” reads the website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.