Many roads (and railways) lead to nationhood
I have been thinking recently about the roads that pass through all our nations. When I heard details of the Halalt road blockade and the Snaw-naw-as holding meetings about its highway dangers, I thought about the dramatic effect that transportation infrastructure has in all cities, towns and communities.
The impacts of roads and rail lines on First Nation reserve lands is significant. Just think about Highway 101 cutting through Tla’amin or the Island Highway passing by the lands of Malahat, Stz’uminus, Snuneymuxw, Snaw-naw-as and Homalco; the Dollarton Highway at Tsleil- Waututh or the massive effects on Tsawwassen from BC Ferries and DeltaPort; or Highway 14 that links T’Souke with the rest of the world. Or the Whaletown Road to Klahoose…
That list is long and doesn’t even mention the effects that the E&N Railway grant lands along the east coast of Vancouver Island or the rail lines through Tsawwassen that carry coal for Roberts Bank.
The existence of these roads has always challenged our communities and forever changed them. Highways that cut through our reserve lands cannot be moved. They will always be there. Of course there are things that can be done, such as speed reduction, new intersections and noise barriers, but those roads will always be carrying traffic through our lands.
They bring problems to our communities, but they also bring opportunities.
We can build gas stations, convenience stores and mini-malls. Or we can ‘do big business’ like Tsawwassen is doing. It is very interesting to read in Klahowya about how Tsawwassen is taking advantage of its strategic location and is planning for a major industrial and business park and making deals with all levels of government to ensure that its economic development is for the long term.
There are two ways that the challenges of these roadways going through our communities can be tackled. We can have open dialogue initially like what took place in Snaw-naw-as or we can have confrontations like that which occurred in Halalt.
Either way, both situations settled on open dialogue as the means to solving road-related issues. It is just too bad that one caused great inconvenience and expense to our Nations, their neighbours and others.
My regards,
Terry Sampson,
Chair – Naut'sa mawt Tribal Council