Cabinet minister and local MLA Randene Neill said she was “here to listen and answer questions” in her opening statement at the March 20 virtual information session on the shíshálh Nation Foundation Agreement.
But the only voices she and the 312 attendees heard were those of the session moderator and provincial staff. The 18 questions put to Neill and the two provincial staffers during the hour-and-a-half Zoom meeting were read out by moderator Carolyn Kamper.
Neill asserted in her opening statement that she was "not aware" that the addendum had been signed when she let her name stand for election to the position of MLA for the Powell River-Sunshine Coast riding last fall. Now, as a minister with responsibilities to implement the renewed Foundation Agreement, she stated she wanted to see "everybody work together to benefit the future of the Sunshine Coast."
'We need to do better'
“The way we put the Foundation Agreement addendum forward was not great and we need to do better and I will do better,” was the summation provided by Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation deputy minister Tom McCarthy.
McCarthy, Neill and deputy minister of Water, Lands and Resource Stewardship, Lori Halls, used similar “need to do better” statements no less than seven times during the session when speaking about communications with the public on the subject.
McCarthy said that the government "simply ran out of time" to prepare to announce and explain the agreement addendum signing, which happened in August 2024, before the Oct. 19 provincial election was announced. Once the writ dropped, there was a hold on major government announcements pending the election. It then took several weeks after the newly re-elected government was formed to prepare for the announcement, which was made public on Jan. 29.
Along with the need to “up our game” on communications, Halls said her primary message related to progress in swiya-wide Dock Management Plan (DMP) implementation. There, she said the focus was to transition docks and boat houses that were in the water as of July 1, 2024, to long-term 20-year tenures, authorized through licences of occupation under the Lands Act. New moorage rates “reflective of 2025 conditions” will be set for those licences, but she assured those at the meeting the rates would be "nominal." She highlighted that such licences can be transferred if a property is sold –– if an application is made and the new owner is approved. In her presentation, Halls stated that six such licences have already been issued and 437 private dock owners have self-registered since mid-2024 to start their licensing processes. She estimated that about 10 per cent of the 1,410 dock and/or boat houses identified in the mid-2024 survey of swiya tidewater areas will require upgrading, which needs to be done within two years, before longer-term tenures can be considered.
Seven of the questions read out by Kamper related to DMP concerns. An issue that McCarthy stressed was that the one area where exclusive decision-making is to be negotiated with the Nation under the amended Foundation Agreement, is yet to be determined and will not be docks. He emphasized those calls are to continue to be made in the shared decision-making model of the province and the Nation under the Lands Act, as they have been since the DMP has been in place.
“Shared decision is sound decision making, that is consistent with our obligations and the province is committed to doing that work with First Nations," McCarthy stated.
Engagement ramps up; constituency office to open
No representatives of the shíshálh First Nation spoke live at the session but a brief video presentation from the Nation was included.
Along with reviewing the new terms included in the Foundation Agreement addendum, the province highlighted ongoing communications efforts during the Zoom meeting. Slated to move forward in April, according to the two deputy ministers are two “open house” events on joint B.C./shíshálh land use planning, DMP negotiations with commercial dock owners and on March 31, the second Foundation Agreement online information session.
The full text of all questions received and the answers to those, along with the recordings of the two information events are also to be made available on the province’s website after that second session is completed.
Another April happening for residents of the lower Sunshine Coast to look forward to is the opening of Neill’s Sechelt-based constituency office. The MLA stated at the online meeting she was hopeful her office on Inlet Avenue will be ready for the public to visit as of April 1.
