White Rock apologizes to Semiahmoo First Nation
Credit to Author: Glenda Luymes| Date: Sun, 24 Nov 2019 00:48:57 +0000
The City of White Rock has apologized to the Semiahmoo First Nation after losing several artifacts from St. Anne’s church, a small Roman Catholic church on the Semiahmoo reserve.
On Thursday, members of the Semiahmoo First Nation met with representatives from the City of White Rock and the White Rock Museum and Archives for a ceremony one city councillor described as “emotionally stirring.”
The apology is part of a commitment by the city to rebuild its rocky relationship with the First Nations community that lies between the White Rock border and Peace Arch Park on Semiahmoo Bay.
“The goal was to make amends, to acknowledge the hurts and begin the process of healing,” said longtime White Rock Coun. Helen Fathers. “I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house.”
As part of an agreement between the First Nation and the White Rock Museum, the contents of St. Anne’s were moved to the museum in the 1970s and the building was used for other purposes. The artifacts were displayed for several years before being put into storage at Centennial Arena.
In the 1990s, it was discovered that some of the larger artifacts, including wooden pews, were missing. Their removal may have been related to fire safety concerns, confirmed Fathers.
But the city’s apology was not meant to be an isolated event.
In a statement, White Rock Mayor Darryl Walker said the city hopes to develop a “deep and lasting trust” with the Semiahmoo First Nation.
Postmedia News was unable to reach Semiahmoo First Nation Chief Harley Chappell on Saturday, but in a statement the leader said the Semiahmoo people are “invested in, and excited about, a renewed relationship both with the City of White Rock and with the White Rock Museum and Archives.”
So far this year the Semiahmoo First Nation Council and White Rock council have met five times, including two meetings with a facilitator hired through the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation. Chappell has also taken a position as vice-chair of the city’s History and Heritage Advisory Committee.
Past disputes between the two councils have included a disagreement over a park expansion in 2018. As then-Mayor Wayne Baldwin was about to officiate a groundbreaking ceremony, Chappell handed him a cease-and-desist order, saying the First Nation was not consulted about the work on its traditional territory. An ancient shell midden was later found on the site.
In 2016, the First Nation accused the city of not giving enough notice about its plans to cut off the community’s water supply because it was not in its jurisdiction. The First Nation had been under a boil-water advisory since 2005.
Earlier this year, the First Nation received money from the federal government to lay pipes and connect with the City of Surrey’s water system, but the funding did not cover the homes of non-band members who lived on the reserve. The non-band members were told they had to pay $50,000 to connect to the new system, or move out.
CLICK HERE to report a typo.
Is there more to this story? We’d like to hear from you about this or any other stories you think we should know about. Email vantips@postmedia.com