The chief of a Metro Vancouver First Nation says he’s pleased that the regional district has pressed pause on a controversial industrial development, which he says the nation wasn’t consulted about.
The Metro Vancouver board voted narrowly Friday to send a proposed expansion of industrial land in Surrey’s South Campbell Heights back to staff to address concerns with the City of Surrey.
“Unfortunately this project was only brought to our attention … at the 11th hour, and consultation began just two months ago with the City of Surrey,” Semiahmoo First Nation Chief Harley Chappell told Global News.
“Gratefully, we’ve been brought in at this point. And I am very, very grateful to the Metro Vancouver board to shoot this back to staff for further investigation. But I really believe if we had been involved in these conversations early we wouldn’t be at this point.”
The Semiahmoo’s territory lies at the mouth of the Little Campbell River, which they call the Tatalu, and downstream from the proposed industrial land expansion.
Conservationists and some scientists have warned that the development could threaten the river’s salmon stocks, which they say remain reasonably healthy.
“All of our tributaries and our waterways need the added protection, we’ve always been told here that this waterway is one of the last unprotected, natural-state gems in the South Fraser area,” Chappell said.
“Whether it’s providing salmon, whether it’s flowing into Semiahmoo bay that provides wellbeing to our shellfish, it’s of the utmost importance.”
The motion to refer the proposal back to staff came from Surrey City Councillor and Metro Vancouver Director Lina Annis, who highlighted both the Indigenous consultation issue along with what she said were hundreds of emails from concerned residents.
“To date, the City Council and the mayor have not met with the Semiahmoo First Nation’s council to discuss this issue,” she told the board meeting.
“It’s only been at staff level and we need ot do a much better job of that. And we also need to be talking and engaging more with a lot of our stakeholders.”
Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum, an advocate of the proposal, said the area in question is a former gravel pit that has been zoned for industrial use for five decades.
The Surrey Board of Trade has estimated the industrial project could support the creation of up to 20,000 jobs along with $17 million to $18 million in tax revenue for the city.
“I’ve been on this board for 15 years, I’ve heard all the cities around our metro complain there isn’t enough industrial land,” McCallum said told the board.
“So when we bring this forward, I’m surprised and shocked at some of the comments, saying they don’t want industrial land for a number of of reasons.”
McCallum also rejected the idea that First Nations had not been adequately consulted, telling the board he speaks regularly with Chief Chappell, who he said also sits on the Surrey Police Board.
“I have a three grandkids that are first nations. I’ve worked with the First Nations all my life,” McCallum said.
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“The city has really worked hard with the FN, and I personally have had a lot of communications with them over the years,” he added.
Conservationists are celebrating Friday’s decision as a win, though acknowledge the referral does not mean the end of the proposal.
“What has happened is finally common sense prevailed,” Sarah Rush with Friends of Hazlemere Campbell Valley said.
“After the flooding last year and the heat dome and the catastrophic effect that climate change is starting to have on us, that made a lot of the metro board wary of voting for this and really starting to come to the conclusion that we have to put climate change front and centre.”
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