Mission – The Leq’á:mel Máthxwi Semá:th Society (“LMS”), leadership and members of the three Nations celebrate the long awaited return of land in their shared territories in the City of Mission, located adjacent to the Fraser River Heritage Park and the grounds of the former St. Mary’s Residential School.
The land transfer, which was finalized last week, is the implementation of the Í:xel Sq’eq’ó Agreement (“Together We Paddle”), signed in 2021 by the LMS, the Province of British Columbia and the City of Mission.
The Agreement provides for the return of 60 hectares (148 acres) of land to the three Nations. The lands have been subdivided, with nearly 50 hectares to be leased to the City of Mission to manage for public use as a community park and recreational area, and two parcels planned for residential and commercial development by LMS.
LMS was formed in 2015 with a mandate “to acquire, manage, develop, maintain and/or protect certain common lands for the education and benefit of our First Nation communities and the wider public.” The return of these lands, which were originally intended to be transferred to the City of Mission through a Sponsored Crown Grant, has been in the works for over a decade.
A celebration to recognize this historic land transfer is being planned for the spring.
