Nanaimo approves first step in transfer of land to Snuneymuxw Nation

Nanaimo council has unanimously approved the sale of 81 hectares of land on Mount Benson to the provincial government, the first step in a land-transfer agreement with Snuneymuxw First Nation.

The heavily forested land on the southwest slope of Mount Benson — also known as Te’tuxw’tun — in south Nanaimo was originally purchased from the E&N Railway Company in 1889 for water diversion, but that infrastructure is no longer in use for Nanaimo’s water supply.

The sale of the property, valued at $1.45 million, is expected to be completed by March 31. Funds from the sale will go toward Nanaimo council initiatives such as affordable housing, the city said.

Snuneymuxw First Nation, which has about 1,900 members, plans to use the site for on-reserve housing, a business innovation and research park, and commercial development.

Chief Mike Wyse said returning village sites under Snuneymuxw jurisdiction remains a top priority for the nation.

“We celebrate Nanaimo city council and the provincial government’s decision to recognize their solemn obligations as agreed to in the Saarlequun Snuneymuxw Treaty of 1854,” he said in a statement.

Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Murray Rankin thanked the City of Nanaimo for its leadership. “I’m proud of the historic step that the City of Nanaimo has taken today to support our shared reconciliation journey with Snuneymuxw First Nation,” he said in a statement.

Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog called the unanimous council vote a crucial step toward “healing historical injustices and building a future based on mutual respect and understanding.”