Seabird Island First Nation to hold referendum on housing, business lease extension
SEABIRD ISLAND — Sq’éwqel (Seabird Island) northeast of Agassiz will hold a referendum next month involving an affordable housing project and the extension of a business lease that could benefit community members.
The band will ask community members to support or reject Seabird Island leasing land on Pipeho:M Road to itself, through its Seabird Island Housing Society, for a BC Housing affordable housing project. Leasing to the Seabird Island Housing Society for 42 years would allow Seabird to access funding to provide affordable homes to band members.
In a separate ballot question, Seabird Island will ask community members to approve or disapprove an extension of the band’s lease for AE Concrete from the present 25-year term to a 75-year agreement. On its Facebook page, the band wrote in a banner that increasing AE Concrete’s lease to 75 years will “secure a steady source of income” for Seabird Island and allow AE to plan for the future.
The Seabird Island Land Code currently only permits 25-year leases.
