Past and present Central Saanich Councils have met with the Tsawout First Nations about the process of divesting T̸IX̱EṈ to the Tsawout First Nations. Central Saanich Council believes divesting this land, which is sacred to the W̱SÁNEĆ (Saanich) First Nations, is the right thing to do, and made divesting T̸IX̱EṈ a priority for 2018.
T̸IX̱EṈ has been used by the W̱SÁNEĆ (Saanich) First Nations for as long as 10,000 years for gathering seafood, collecting medicinal plants, spiritual reflection and even used as a burial site. Elders used to say, "When the tide is out, the table is set."
T̸IX̱EṈ is the dark green land circled above.
With European settlement, T̸IX̱EṈ became crown land. The lands were never developed but were at one point divided into 40 lots that were part of a 1913 subdivision plan. It was then transferred to Central Saanich in the 1950s. The land also includes a dedicated road.
The Divestiture Process
There are a number of processes for Central Saanich to transfer the lands. Following provincial regulations and statutes, the municipality is required to provide notice of its intentions to the public and opportunity for the public to comment. The following timelines are general and subject to change:
1. Official Community Plan (OCP) amendments regarding park reservations and removal of parkland dedication from the lands – the OCP has several references with respect to T̸IX̱EṈ. A bylaw will be introduced at Council in early July to amend the OCP to remove these references. A bylaw amendment requires three readings at Council and a public hearing. This process will take until late August.
Alternative Approval Process – the process for public comment regarding the bylaw (above) will commence in mid-July and complete by mid-August. Should less than 10% of the electorate oppose the bylaw, Council will proceed with the park land dedication removal and take the next steps in divestiture.
2. Land consolidation – T̸IX̱EṈ is made up of several parcels from a 1913 subdivision plan. A bylaw will be introduced at Council in late August to remove the road network associated with the 1913 subdivision plan and undertake public notification. Council will consider adoption of the bylaw in early September.
3. Transfer for of consolidated parcel to Tsawout First Nation. The final step is the legal transfer of T̸IX̱EṈ back to the Tsawout First Nation. At this time the Tsawout First Nation will seek an “addition to reserve”, a federally regulated process where the parcel is consolidated with the existing First Nation reserve.
In the coming weeks we will provide more information about the divestiture process and the Alternative Approval Process. Please watch the News section and the T̸IX̱EṈ page for updates.
