In the Beginning The UNB Chief & Council has given direction to - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Development of Land Nicola Lake IR#1 Lot 87 (previously Lot 84) Designation

In the Beginning • The UNB Chief & Council has given direction to the Band Administrator to proceed with a Designation to lease land • The Band Administrator has given direction to the UNB Lands Department to initiate the Designation • It takes at least one year for a Band to complete a Designation

What is a Designation? • “designation” means the conditional or unconditional surrender that is not absolute by a First Nation to Her Majesty of any right or interest of the First Nation and its members in all or part of a reserve, for the purpose of the reserve land being leased or a right of interest therein being granted as permitted under subsection 38(2) of the Indian Act • In other words; the reserve land remains reserve land but it can be leased out legally to external proponents • Examples of Designated Reserve lands of other Bands will be provided at the information presentations

What is a referendum? • A vote to determine if the members are in favour of the intended use of the land • At least one information meeting for Band members must be held prior to the referendum • Must include off-reserve members • The Minister of Indian Affairs will appoint an officer to oversee the referendum and certify the results

History of this venture • Documentation from 2005 – Band Council Resolution (BCR) dated June 29, 2005 • Survey request 2006 • Hydro line was installed in 2006 • Land Encumbrance check to Indian Affairs in 2006, referring to “ Quilchena Terrace” • BCR dated February 28, 2007 requesting a referendum

Terms of the Designation • 99 year designation • Headlease with subleases • Development Corporation to hold Headlease for the Band • Almost 400 acres to be designated (all of Lot 87) • Will be a General Designation

What are we required to do? • Environmental Assessment (EA) • Archaeological Impact Assessment (AIA) • Appraisal • Obtain legal advice • Legal Description of land – survey • Information to members • Referendum – a vote by membership

What will we build there? Ideas: • Light industrial • Hotel / resort • Solar farm (Upper Nicola Band Development Corporation 200 acres) • Houses • Recreational projects • Retail stores • Businesses • Any other ideas?

What are the benefits? • Jobs • Development of businesses • Water and sewage • Taxes • Lease revenue

When? • The AIA, EA, survey, and Appraisal being finalized. • Once these are done we create an Information Document for Band members – end of July 2017. • INAC, along with our legal advisor, creates a Designation Document – July 2017. • The Designation Document then gets sent off to the Justice Dept. at INAC to review and approve by the end of August 2017.

When continued • Information meetings will be held for Band members in August, September and October 2017 • The Referendum date is planned for October 30, 2017 • INAC will be in charge of the referendum and the voting process • We are hoping to have a conceptual drawing of the development for the Information Meetings

If you have questions, comments, suggestions, please contact Teri Clayton, UNB Lands Manager Collette Sunday, Band Administrator (250) 350-3342