1939 replies to this topic

[dasmo]

That’s why the parks are precious. And ya, the mushrooms belong to all of us. So don’t pick them. If you do, do it in such a way that no one knows….

[dasmo]

That’s why they say “Harvest” not “touch.”

[Mike K.]

That’s why the parks are precious. And ya, the mushrooms belong to all of us. So don’t pick them. If you do, do it in such a way that no one knows….

The rule says take them if your culture permits it.

[dasmo]

Exactly. It’s probably in response to idiots over harvesting. Leave no trace and there is no problem.

[Victoria Watcher]

If someone takes the mushrooms, who or what is being deprived?

The forest isn’t going to die if some mushrooms close to the trail edge are picked.

[dasmo]

Taking a mushroom isn’t harvesting. If you take all the mushrooms in an area you can affect the overall system. Reducing the next year’s bloom etc.

Generally it’s not an issue which is why I wonder why the sign went up. Over harvesting would be noticed by the foraging community.

Like dog walking in the park. Generally not a problem. Done on a large scale in one area and it can totally demolish a nice mossy rock zone. Seen it. Thankfully nature recovers quick….

Picking berries in the park is just fine. Nature is abundant. Harvesting berries in the park for resale is not. Same applies to the mushroom. It’s not that difficult.

[dasmo]

If you really need to, just go pick the mushrooms there. No one will do anything. While you’re at it take your dog and have it take a crap on the trail and leave it there for someone to step on it.

[Victoria Watcher]

Peninsula First Nation eyes addition to reserves, developer partnership

 

The Tsawout Nation purchased a 99-acre Saanichton farm last May, and is considering partnering with a Chilliwack-based developer on developing the property.

https://www.timescol...ership-11752122

 

Suzanna Su, a spokesperson with Indigenous Services Canada, said it takes years for a reserve addition like the Tsawout Nation’s to be completed.

The process requires collaboration between the federal government, First Nations and third parties such as provinces and municipalities, and includes consultations, land surveys, environmental reviews and negotiations, she said in a statement.

Last year, Indigenous Services Canada received 20 proposals to add lands to reserves in the province, she said.

The past 10 proposals in B.C. took an average of three years and 10 months to complete, Su said.

Since 2006, about 1.3 million acres of land have been added to First Nations’ reserves across Canada.

The federal government holds a total of about 8.8 million acres of reserve land on behalf of First Nations, with about 345,000 acres of those lands falling under ALR designation.

Kim Proust, chief executive officer of the Agricultural Land Commission, said removal of the ALR designation is not required on federal reserve lands “to engage in other activities.”

In the last fiscal year, the federal government added just under 314 acres of ALR land to reserves, she said.

Pelkey said his nation will be going ahead with the applications, despite increased rhetoric against Aboriginal title in the B.C. legislature from the B.C. Conservatives and OneBC party.

Such talk is divisive and unproductive, Pelkey said.

Tsawout purchased the land so that it could prosper as a nation, he said. “We bought these with our hard-earned dollars, and that’s something to be celebrated.”

 

 

 

Tsawout purchased the land so that it could prosper as a nation, he said. “We bought these with our hard-earned dollars, and that’s something to be celebrated.”

 

 

How does the band earn cash?

[dasmo]

The band owns businesses. https://tsawout.ca/b...s-partnerships/

[Victoria Watcher]

A Salt Spring resident who helped start a donation drive so Tsawout First Nation could buy a property on the island said it was a small token of thanks for the nation’s generosity to residents.

 

Briony Penn said the forested reserve known as W̱ENÁ ̧NEĆ has been open to the public for the last 130 years. “They’re provided this access to this incredible place that so many Islanders love.”

 

Two informal hiking trails run through the 42.9-acre reserve at the mouth of Fulford Harbour.

 

Penn said her mother played on the beach in the 1930s, and Penn’s own children grew up with access to the reserve as well.

 

So when the Tsawout, also known as SȾÁUTW̱ First Nation, announced their intention to buy the lot, which would give them road access to reserve land, Penn jumped at the chance to get Salt Springers to contribute. “It just seemed like the smallest thing that we could do.”

 

While the Tsawout had the funds to make the purchase, they were hesitant because of other priorities, she said. “When you’re a small community, you’ve got a lot of other needs on your plate.”

 

Tsawout elected chief Abraham Pelkey said W̱ENÁ ̧NEĆ holds a special place for his people, as the reserve has a commanding view of the Saanich Peninsula, where the W̱SÁNEC are from.

 

Now that the nation has an adjacent property with road access, its members can visit their lands more easily, Pelkey said.

 

Pelkey said the Tsawout will apply to the federal government to add the land on Salt Spring Island to the nation’s reserve base.

 

The nation hopes to build parking and a parks office on the lot so the Fulford Harbour reserve can be more easily accessed by elders who want to harvest medicines, but has otherwise no plans for developing the area, he said.

 

 

https://www.timescol...rchase-11742398

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 17 January 2026 - 08:15 AM.

[dasmo]

If you go there you can see they have been doing cedar bark harvesting the old fashioned way for a long time. It’s a very nice piece of land.

[Victoria Watcher]

 

They have some prime watefront land here, too:

 

https://www.google.c...Dc5MjA2N0gBUAM=

 

Has a washing machine.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 17 January 2026 - 09:32 AM.

[dasmo]

Looks like Langford in the 80s

[dasmo]

If they stack those cement blocks super high it would look like Langford now!

[Lorenzo]

Looks like Langford in the 80s

Yes, the good old days. A dump truck and a stock car in every yard. And no gridlock. I miss it.

[dasmo]

Yes, the good old days. A dump truck and a stock car in every yard. And no gridlock. I miss it.

It all took a turn for the worse sometime in the 90s.

[Victoria Watcher]

The province announced Monday it is further postponing changes to the Heritage Conservation Act that could increase Indigenous oversight over development and expand what should be protected.

Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said he “heard loud and clear” from municipalities and business owners worried the changes could increase costs and lead to delays for infrastructure projects.

Parmar said more consultation will be conducted before proposed amendments are drafted into a bill and presented to the legislature, but did not say when that will happen.

He also said there will be no new definition of what constitutes “intangible cultural values” after concerns that protection for Indigenous songs, ceremonies, food and traditions could extend archaeological assessment requirements to numerous properties. Instead, the government will only use wording already in the existing version of the law.

“We heard people from the business community, their concerns and confusion around the term intangible heritage,” said Parmar.

“The direction that I provided to my team is for us to propose to instead use wording that is already in the HCA. … Hopefully that provides a little bit more comfort to


https://www.timescol...nister-11762311

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 20 January 2026 - 07:59 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Vote on borrowing $46M for Alert Bay housing postponed

 

The postponement happened shortly after ‘Na̱mg̱is chief and council apologized to members for a lack of communication about a delayed annual general meeting.

 

https://www.timescol...tponed-11761211

 

Samantha Webster, the nation’s land code manager, said relying on the federal government will not meet housing needs, as those programs have only added eight new homes in the community in the past 25 years.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 20 January 2026 - 09:24 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

B.C. and ʼNa̱mǥis First Nation advance Gw’ani land-use plan for Nimpkish Valley

 

https://cheknews.ca/...valley-1300379/

 

 

 

The orders, signed Jan. 15, mark a milestone in a joint planning process that has been underway since 2021 and covers more than 166,000 hectares of Crown land in the Nimpkish River watershed near Alert Bay and Port McNeill.

 

The area includes Vancouver Island’s longest river, old-growth forests, critical wildlife habitat and all five species of Pacific wild salmon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pretty sure they have no no expertise on and an idea how to sheppard this land.   It'll be a disaster.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 20 January 2026 - 09:48 AM.

[Tony]

Pretty sure they have no no expertise on and an idea how to sheppard this land.   It'll be a disaster.