The Ts’uubaa-asatx First Nation is looking to add approximately 34 hectares in the Cowichan Lake area to their reserve.
The lands, which are currently held in fee simple by a corporation owned wholly by Ts’uubaa-asatx, are located along Youbou Road immediately to the west of the Ts’uubaa-asatx reserve.
Aaron Hamilton, operations manager for the Ts’uubaa-asatx, said there will likely be further announcements in early 2026, when the land transfer is expected to be concluded, as to what the First Nation's plans are for their new reserve lands.
The federal government has discretion to create reserves and add land to existing reserves, so Indigenous Services Canada has to approve the land becoming part of the reserve.
The Cowichan Valley Regional District’s board agreed to send a letter of support for the land transfer to the ICS at a recent meeting.
A staff report from the CVRD’s Land Use Services department said board support for the proposed addition to the reserve process is consistent with the purposes of local government under the Local Government Act, which include “fostering the economic, social and environmental well-being of its community".
“Support is also consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which sets out the rights of Indigenous peoples and governments’ obligations in respect of these rights, and a framework for mutual respect and reconciliation,” staff said.
In the letter to ISC, CVRD chair Kate Segall said, “For certainty, the CVRD fully supports the transfer of the lands to Ts’uuabaa-asatx reserve.”
In 2023, Ts’uubaa-asatx doubled its lands with the transfer of a 31-hectare parcel of Crown land back to the First Nation, which was celebrated with a signing ceremony attended by Murray Rankin, the former minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation.
These lands are part of the properties that Ts’uubaa-asatx are working towards adding to the reserve, plus some other lands that have been purchased by the Ts’uubaa-asatx.
The land transfer in 2023 was considered a key reconciliation milestone that created community and economic development opportunities for Ts’uubaa-asatx and the surrounding communities.
The land was valued at approximately $1.6 million at the time.
Rankin said at the signing ceremony that the partnership approach that had been taken to identify and reach agreement on the land transfer was a substantive step on the path toward long-lasting reconciliation between the province and the First Nation.
