shíshálh Nation – British Columbia Foundation Agreement

Last updated on January 29, 2025

In 2018, shíshálh Nation and the Province made history by signing the shíshálh Nation – British Columbia Foundation Agreement.

This the province’s first Comprehensive Reconciliation Agreement (CRA), a long-term phased agreement focused on government-to-government relations that recognize inherent rights and title.

This phased approach to long-term reconciliation, where the Foundation Agreement is renewed every five years, helps to create transformative change in a way that is predictable, transparent and allows for learning to occur as shíshálh Nation and the Province’s relationship unfolds over time.

The Province and shíshálh Nation have made substantial progress together since signing the Foundation Agreement in 2018. The first five-year phase of the Foundation Agreement concluded in 2023, at which time the Province and shíshálh Nation negotiated commitments for the second phase, represented by the Agreement renewal.

The shíshálh Nation is located on the Sechelt Peninsula of the Sunshine Coast, 50 kilometres northwest of Vancouver. The shíshálh swiya – meaning world or birthplace – covers 514,520 hectares (1,271,407 acres) that stretch from x̱enichen (northern end of Jervis Inlet) to kalpilin (Pender Harbour), and from kwekwenis (Lang Bay) in the west and xwesam (Roberts Creek) in the southeast.

As work to implement each component of the Foundation Agreement renewal begins, the Province and shíshálh Nation continue to be dedicated and serious about the importance of planned engagement with local governments, interest holders and Sunshine Coast residents, so that everyone is brought along.

2024 Foundation Agreement renewal

The renewed Foundation Agreement recognizes shíshálh Nation’s inherent rights and title and supports the continued work towards milestones set out in the original Agreement through land transfers, cultural and language revitalization support, economic development funding and other initiatives.

Through the Agreement renewal, the Province has committed to ongoing funding to support shíshálh Nation’s work in a number of initiatives, including:

$47.58 million over five years for economic development.
$15 million to support the construction of a cultural centre.
$8.83 million over five years for Agreement implementation and further negotiations under the Agreement.
$2.77 million over five years for environmental and cultural restoration work.
$1.85 million to implement and further develop water infrastructure initiatives on shíshálh Lands.
$1.6 million over five years for culture and language revitalization.
Up to $710,000 over four years towards a collaborative monitoring and enforcement program in the shíshálh swiya.
$500,000 to carry out environmental and ecological studies.
$200,000 for infrastructure to support cultural initiatives.

In addition to funding, the renewed Agreement builds on the work completed over the last five years and continues to build a path for the next phase of the Province and shíshálh Nation’s shared commitments, including:

Identifying and transferring provincial Crown lands to shíshálh Nation for both cultural and economic use.
Exploring shared and exclusive decision-making opportunities.
Supporting shíshálh Nation’s economic development, culture and language.
Integrating existing updates to the Dock Management Plan to respond to concerns and balance interests.

This includes working together in the coming months to identify six square kilometres of provincial Crown land for transfer to shíshálh Nation, with one square kilometre allocated for cultural use purposes and five square kilometres for economic development purposes.

Dock Management Plan

The Province and shíshálh Nation launched the Dock Management Plan (DMP) in 2018. The DMP supports the Province and shíshálh Nation’s co-management of environmental and cultural values found throughout the foreshore.

Following public engagement, in 2024 both governments announced updates to the DMP to respond to concerns and balance interests. These updates were informed by the work and submissions of members of the Dock Management Plan Advisory Group.

Among the updates is a three-year transition period, which allows existing dock and boathouse owners to keep their current structures and register them through an online self-registration form. During the three-year transition period, all self-registered docks will be reviewed with the goal of transitioning them into longer 20-year renewable authorizations.

The Agreement renewal reaffirms the August 2024 changes to the Dock Management Plan and reinforces B.C. and shíshálh Nation’s shared commitment to completing joint work in the foreshore, helping to provide predictability and transparency for dock owners.

Additionally, the renewal includes plans to conduct more studies in the foreshore, undertake shared monitoring, and fund restoration work conducted by shíshálh Nation. These measures demonstrate our commitment to ensure that foreshore values are managed in a balanced way that sustains them for future generations.

As shíshálh Nation and the Province move forward on these shared commitments, they will continue to engage with new and existing dock and boathouse owners, owners in both marine and lake environments, and commercial dock owners.

Learn more:

Land Use Planning

The shíshálh-B.C. Land Use Planning Table was one of six collaborative forums established under the Foundation Agreement in 2018. Comprised of equal representation from both parties, the Land Use Planning Table was tasked with developing a draft Land Use Plan (LUP) for the shíshálh Nation swiya. swiya lands covered by the LUP do not include shíshálh Band Lands (SBLs), shíshálh fee simple lands, federal lands and private lands.

The Joint Land Use Plan process allows shíshálh Nation and the Province to make progress on their Foundation Agreement goals, and will provide clear management direction on the following four initial planning themes:

Biodiversity
Watershed integrity
Resources important to shíshálh culture
Sustainable economic development

The Province and shíshálh Nation’s shared commitment to land use planning and stewardship in the shíshálh swiya is also expressed in the renewal through provisions for the ongoing development and completion of the shíshálh – B.C. Joint Land Use Plan.

Significant progress has been made and additional engagement on the plan will begin shortly. Engagement with partners, interest holders and the public will occur at key plan development phases, to ensure local interests and priorities are identified and factored into the land use planning process.

Learn more:

2018 Foundation Agreement

The Shíshálh Nation – British Columbia Foundation Agreement, signed in 2018, was the first major reconciliation agreement between the Province and a First Nation. It represents a progressive and collaborative approach to the implementation of shíshálh Nation title and rights, representing a new model for reconciliation in the province.

A key part of the agreement was the establishment of a landmark government-to-government working relationship to create new decision-making structures between the Province and shíshálh Nation.

Other components included land transfers, economic and socio-cultural investments, establishment of a land-use planning process and joint aspirational long-term commitments.

Questions or comments?

If you would like to receive updates, have any questions, comments or would like more information, please email IRRCoastNegotiations@gov.bc.ca.

Did you find what you were looking for?

The B.C. Public Service acknowledges the territories of First Nations around B.C. and is grateful to carry out our work on these lands. We acknowledge the rights, interests, priorities, and concerns of all Indigenous Peoples - First Nations, Métis, and Inuit - respecting and acknowledging their distinct cultures, histories, rights, laws, and governments.

More topics