The Squamish Nation has launched its first comprehensive Land Development Strategy (LDS), an initiative that the nation says will align the cultural values and future needs of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh People. Approved by the Nation’s Council, the initial phase focuses on three priority sites in North Vancouver and Squamish, covering 163 acres of land.
“Redevelopment of Nation lands benefits Squamish People and the greater region; it advances the Nation’s economic autonomy and ability to support new Nation needs,” said Wilson Williams, Council member and spokesperson of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw. “A Nation-led planning process advances our self-determination and right to self-governance.”
These developments aim to include a mix of Nation housing, market residential areas, community spaces, an Elders Village, and commercial amenities.
Stá7mes site
Central to this strategy is the redevelopment of the Stá7mes site, located in the Totem Hall area, close to the Mamquam Blind Channel and the casino. This site is imagined as an intergenerational community with an Elders Village as its symbolic and functional heart. The village will include housing for Elders, a dedicated Elder Centre, a traditional food hub, and a daycare facility. Multi-generational homes, cemeteries and burning site, housing and economic development areas are planned.
Designed to promote intergenerational living and learning, the community will prioritize food sovereignty and seamless elder care. Expanding outward, the development will incorporate additional housing and community spaces to sustain these cultural traditions.
Housing and commercial developments are also planned on the North Shore on nation sites, though these are preliminary plans, and nothing has been finalized yet. In a press release, The Squamish Nation emphasized that the projects are still conceptual and will undergo further community engagement, market analysis, and design refinement.
Meanwhile, a moratorium on third-party development proposals has been extended to April 1, 2025, allowing the Nation to focus on this community-led approach. According to the press release, the projects will generate significant revenue for Nation priorities, including infrastructure repairs, cultural facilities, spiritual spaces, and housing for Nation members across the Squamish Valley and the North Shore.
“This vision reflects not only the needs of our present community but also the ancestral and cultural significance of our lands,” the Nation said in a statement.
