Image: Cheam First Nation / Chief Darwin Douglas (pictured) of Cheam First Nation, located east of Chilliwack, released a statement Monday on behalf of two other Chilliwack-area bands in which they collectively expressed frustration by a lack of action from the B.C. government over its proposed Cascade Skyline Gondola Project.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Cheam First Nation

Cheam First Nation, others call out B.C. govt. for inaction on proposed gondola east of Chilliwack

Jun 25, 2024 | 6:09 AM

CHILLIWACK — Supporters of the proposed gondola east of Chilliwack are growing increasingly exasperated.

Cheam First Nation east of Chilliwack released a statement Monday on behalf of two other Chilliwack-area bands in which they expressed frustration by a lack of action from the B.C. government over its proposed Cascade Skyline Gondola Project.

“The B.C. Government has been stalling and creating additional hurdles for the past 6 years, rather than letting us create hundreds of jobs for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in the Fraser Valley,” said Cheam First Nation Chief Darwin Douglas. “Despite changes to our proposal which further reduce the environmental footprint and eliminate any claimed overlap with other First Nations, the B.C. Government has still not granted permits for the project to move forward.

Skwah First Nation leadership echoed Chief Douglas’s sentiments by saying it seems shallow when there are incessant themes about reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, but little to show for it.

“We don’t appreciate government platitudes about reconciliation, especially when it’s not matched by meaningful action,” said Johnathan Prest, Chief of the Skwah First Nation.

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The project area has been pared down in certain areas, partly to protect spotted owl habitat and to avoid overlapping with the proposed Bridal Veil Mountain Resort boundaries.

Image: Pixabay / File photo of a gondola.

Re-scoped changes include the following:

• Reduced project footprint (320 hectares vs 450 hectares) = 29 per cent reduction in area
• Reduced project infrastructure requirements (one gondola instead of two, a mid-station is no longer required, and no new roads).
• Revised tenure boundary, eliminating any conflict with Spotted Owl wildlife habitat areas (WHAs).
• Revised tenure boundary to avoid the study area of the proposed Bridal Veil Mountain Resort (BVMR).
• Revised tenure boundary to avoid overlapping with other First Nation traditional territories. The project is now exclusively within the traditional territory of the Cheam and Pelólxw peoples.
• Golf course purchase completed by Cheam First Nation for the project base

“Despite fulfilling every request in the B.C. Government’s opaque and shape-shifting approval process, they continue to delay,” said Chief Douglas. “This amounts to disrespect and is the opposite of reconciliation.”

For unknown reasons, the provincial government continues to point to the much larger BVMR low-elevation ski area proposal, Cheam First Nation pointed out, adding that the competing proposal has been opposed by the majority of First Nations and municipal governments since its initial iteration more than 20 years ago. Cheam says the two proposals do not overlap in the same tenure area, but there’s one distinct difference when it comes to habitat.

“The BVMR concept would cut right through the heart of the protected Spotted Owl Wildlife Habitat Area, effectively cutting it into three pieces,” Chief Douglas said. “Environmental impacts include massive water use for snowmaking et al., and other negative, long-term effects on our lands that you would expect a large 18-lift industrial ski resort would have. In contrast, our Cascade Skyline Gondola Project is designed to be an eco-cultural tourism destination with one lift, to help protect and enhance our lands while providing accessible transportation to bring people safely above the Fraser Valley to enjoy the Cascade Mountains in our traditional territory.”

A key component of the Cascade Skyline Gondola Project involves the educational Stó:lō cultural interpretive centre with programming about First Nations history and culture. This will be situated on the former Bridal Falls Golf course, recently purchased by Cheam First Nation.

“We look forward to inviting everyone to the interpretive centre, as well as to the mountains,” said Chief Randy Leon, Kwa-kwa-a-pilt First Nation. “However, the B.C. government has been getting in the way for the past 6 years.”

Letters of support for the Cascade Skyline Gondola Project have been provided by Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove and Chilliwack City Council, mayor and council of the District of Kent (Agassiz), Tourism Chilliwack, Indigenous Tourism B.C., and the Tourism Industry Association of B.C.. Multiple other groups have also gone on record supporting the project, Cheam asserted.

In contrast, BVMR has received no such support.

“In the strongest possible terms, we urge the Government of B.C. to immediately approve our project and allow it to move forward for the benefit of our people, their economic and cultural futures and the benefit of the broader Fraser Valley community,” Chief Douglas concluded.