Musqueam parlaying claim on urban land into economic engine – Vancouver Sun
New revenues will fuel expanding community on Fraser River in southwest Vancouver
On a sunny day last June, Musqueam chief Wayne Sparrow was at the head of a longboat being paddled into the brand new Milltown Marina and Boatyard.
The Musqueam are an equity partner in the marina and boatyard project, which was designed for pleasurecraft and small boats. The development also includes a full-service marine repair facility and a yacht sales company.
Because the Musqueam First Nation has a substantive aboriginal claim to Crown lands in the Lower Mainland, including Vancouver and Richmond, the First Nation partnered with Bastion Developments Corp. to obtain a 49-year lease on the Port Metro Vancouver lands on Richmond Island in the Fraser River at the southern end of Granville Street.
