A closer look at Campbell
Ian Campbell was acclaimed Thursday as Vision Vancouver’s candidate for mayor in this fall’s civic election. Here are five things about him.
1
HE’S A HEREDITARY CHIEF OF THE SQUAMISH NATION, A SIXTHGENERATION DESCENDANT OF CHIEF KHATSALANO, WHO LIVED IN SNAWKW, THE SQUAMISH VILLAGE ON WHAT IS NOW KITS POINT.
He rents a home with his family in North Vancouver, where most of the Squamish people are based, but he has lived off and on in Vancouver over the years, including on the Musqueam reserve, where his father is from.
He’s been an elected councillor for the Squamish Nation since 2005.
2
HE’S BEEN LEADING LOCAL FIRST NATIONS EFFORTS TO DEVELOP VANCOUVER PROPERTY.
The Squamish partnered with the Musqueam and TsleilWaututh First Nations and the Canada Lands Company to buy the Jericho lands, which are set to be redeveloped as mixed residential.
The Jericho Lands is a former defence site near Jericho Beach, bought by the group in 2014, with an adjacent parcel purchased from the provincial government in 2016.
That group has also bought the former RCMP headquarters site off West 33rd Avenue, near Cambie Street, with similar plans for re-development.
3
HE WOULD BE THE FOURTH MAYOR NAMED CAMPBELL.
The first was Tom Campbell, who served two terms as an independent from 1966 to 1972.
Then there was Gordon Campbell who served two terms under the NPA’s banner from 1987 to 1993.
And most recently, there was Larry Campbell, who served a single term for COPE from 2002 to 2005.
4
CAMPBELL LED THE SQUAMISH NATION’S COURT CHALLENGE OF KINDER MORGAN.
The Squamish Nation filed an application in 2016 for a judicial review of the National Energy Board’s recommendation to approve Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project. That challenge was focused on the consultation process.
“We’ve had a chance to look at those and have come to the conclusion that they didn’t seriously take into consideration Squamish’s concerns.
“Therefore, we must file a writ to protect our interests,” Campbell told Postmedia at the time.
“The procedural fairness of the entire NEB process, we’re completely dissatisfied with it, and certainly implore the prime minister to completely revamp that process and not approve this project.”
5
ONLY ONE OTHER PERSON THREW THEIR NAME INTO THE VISION HAT.
But last week, Taleeb Noormohamed announced he was withdrawing because of a health scare.