Latest news with #Tsleil-Waututh
Cision Canada
a day ago
- Business
- Cision Canada
Tsleil-Waututh Nation Announces Historic Memorandum of Understanding to Purchase Casino Business at Hastings Racecourse & Casino
səlilwətaɬ (TSLEIL-WAUTUTH NATION), BC, June 6, 2025 /CNW/ - Today, səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) (" TWN") announced that it has entered into a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding for an agreement in principle to acquire the casino business and related real property interests at Hastings Racecourse & Casino (" Hastings") in the City of Vancouver from Great Canadian Gaming Corporation (" Great Canadian Entertainment"). "We are thrilled to take another important step towards economic self-determination for our Nation in our traditional territory, and we are eager to work with the senior management team at Great Canadian Entertainment to finalize due diligence and execute a definitive agreement, as well as working with the City of Vancouver to ensure the best long-term use of this important asset within the City," stated Jen Thomas, Chief of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation. "We believe that this opportunity is historic for us in many ways, and we look forward to entering the gaming industry in due course," she concluded. "We are excited about working with TWN on their potential acquisition of the casino operations and related real property interests at Hastings Racecourse & Casino," stated Matt Anfinson, Chief Executive Officer of Great Canadian Entertainment. "Recognizing that Hastings is part of the TWN's traditional territory, we can think of no better entity to inherit this asset, and we look forward to supporting them in the transition after the anticipated close of the sale," he concluded. The agreement is subject to further due diligence, finalization of financial terms and the execution of a definitive purchase and sale agreement. Once a definitive agreement has been executed by the parties, it is anticipated that the transaction will be subject to customary closing conditions as well as customary approvals by gaming regulatory and other authorities, including certain approvals by the City of Vancouver given its ownership of the real property. It is expected that Great Canadian Entertainment will provide transition services to TWN for a period of time following the anticipated closing. KPMG Corporate Finance Inc. is acting as financial advisor and McCarthy Tétrault LLP is acting as legal counsel to TWN. McMillan LLP is acting as legal counsel to Great Canadian Entertainment. About səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) are known as People of the Inlet. səlilwətaɬ is a Coast Salish Nation whose territory centres around Burrard Inlet in the Greater Vancouver region. Tsleil-Waututh people carry a Sacred Trust, a responsibility, to care for and restore traditional territory to its former state. Today, Tsleil-Waututh is more than 600 people strong and growing. The community draws on knowledge from ancestors to remedy past wrongs, reclaim territory and traditions, and advance into a bright future. For more information on Tsleil-Waututh Nation, visit About Great Canadian Entertainment Founded in 1982, Great Canadian Entertainment is Canada's premier gaming and hospitality company with gaming, entertainment, hospitality and resort facilities in Ontario, British Columbia, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. Committed to investing in and offering opportunity to those in the communities in which it operates, Great Canadian Entertainment supports hundreds of charitable and non-profit organizations across Canada under its PROUD program; "PROUD of our people, our business, our community". A significant portion of gross gaming revenue from Great Canadian Entertainment's gaming facilities is retained by Crown partners on behalf of their provincial governments for the purpose of supporting programs that benefit healthcare, education, and social services in Canada. To learn more, please visit or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Cision Canada
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Cision Canada
BC Treaty Commission Congratulates Prime Minister and Cabinet and Looks Ahead to Treaty Ratifications
Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) VANCOUVER, BC, May 14, 2025 /CNW/ - The BC Treaty Commission sends its congratulations to Prime Minister Mark Carney, his cabinet, and new and returning Members of Parliament (MPs) on their success in the recent federal election. We look forward to working with all MPs to advance reconciliation. Modern treaties in BC remain a national priority and the Treaty Commission looks forward to working with the federal government to continue advancing lasting reconciliation through the negotiation and implementation of modern treaties. The Treaty Commission also commends Prime Minister Carney's commitment to work with Indigenous governments to further self-determination and implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which is best operationalized through modern treaties. The Treaty Commission also welcomes all new cabinet appointees, especially Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Rebecca Alty, with whom the Treaty Commission anticipates working closely. The Treaty Commission sends special congratulations to Minister of Indigenous Services Mandy Gull-Masty, the first Indigenous person to serve in the role and former Grand Chief of the Cree Nation Government. Gull-Masty's appointment is particularly auspicious as 2025 marks the 50 th anniversary of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, the first modern treaty in Canada. The Treaty Commission thanks Gary Anandasangaree for his significant work as Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and for helping to complete several modern treaties in British Columbia over the last year, and wishes him all the best in his new portfolio as Minister of Public Safety. The Treaty Commission is excited for the Parties to resume tripartite negotiations, working towards treaties and other tripartite agreements. Additionally, the Treaty Commission looks ahead to the provincial and federal ratification of the K'ómoks and Kitselas treaties, which were overwhelmingly approved by their communities earlier this year. After these successful community ratifications, timely ratification by British Columbia and Canada is essential. "Reconciliation, achieved through treaties, is the shared responsibility of all political parties, Members of Parliament, and Canadians" said Chief Commissioner Celeste Haldane. "The conclusion and timely ratification of treaties is critical to maintain momentum in the made-in-BC negotiations process." In times of economic uncertainty, treaties create opportunities for new infrastructure and other major projects by providing certainty over the ownership of lands and resources. This predictability expedites private investment and increases Indigenous participation and ownership in major projects. Treaties create a stronger Canada, better equipped to handle challenges and provide an equitable and prosperous future for the betterment of all. Quick Facts: To see the entirety of Canada's new Ministry, read the news release from the Office of the Prime Minister. Kitselas First Nation, Kitsumkalum First Nation, and K'ómoks First Nation all initialled treaties with the governments of British Columbia and Canada in 2024. On March 8, 2025, 81 per cent of K'ómoks voters voted in favour of ratifying their treaty; on April 10, 2025, the Kitselas Treaty was ratified by community with 85 per cent of voters in support. The Government of Canada passed An Act Respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples on June 21, 2021, affirming the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a universal human rights instrument with application in Canadian law and providing a framework for its implementation. ABOUT THE BC TREATY COMMISSION The Treaty Commission is the independent body responsible for overseeing treaty and tripartite reconciliation negotiations among the governments of Canada, British Columbia and First Nations in BC. It has three main roles: facilitation, funding, and public information and education.
CBC
07-02-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Invictus Games bring meaningful Indigenous inclusion at major international event
Athletes and spectators at the 2025 Invictus Games will be part of the first international multi-sport games fully inclusive of the four local First Nations hosts. Canada will see a new meaning to the power of sport through full, meaningful Indigenous inclusion in a major international Games, said 2025 Invictus Games board member Wilson Williams (Sxwixwtn). "We're playing host to the world and we're a major part of it," said Williams, a spokesperson and council member of the Squamish Nation. Squamish is one of the four host nations whose lands the Invictus Games take place on, alongside Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh and Líl̓wat nations. Created by Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, the Invictus Games encourage recovery and rehabilitation to wounded, injured and sick service men and women across the world through the power of sport. This is the second time Canada will host the Invictus Games, following Toronto in 2017, and will debut adaptive winter sports in addition to the previous core five sports. Fifty-six current and former service men and women competing for Team Canada across all events. Williams said the Invictus Games, which kick off Saturday, are an example of "international reconciliation" with Canada. Indigenous involvement in the Games is part of their commitment to uphold the Truth and Reconciliation's call to action No. 91, which calls on Canada to include Indigenous nations in the planning and participation of major international games. "This is among the first times, including for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, that an international governing body has awarded a major event at the invitation of and with the support of the Four Host Nations on whose land these Games will be played," Robyn McVickar, chief operating officer and deputy CEO for the Invictus Games Vancouver-Whistler 2025 wrote in a statement to CBC Sports. Although the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and Paralympics had First Nations involvement, the Games faced controversy from various Indigenous peoples at the time, including questions over land rights, where the venues were constructed and criticism on the design of the official logo. Planning since 2022 Each of the four host First Nations has a representative on the Vancouver-Whistler Invictus Games' board who has been involved in the planning since 2022. Along with Williams from Squamish is Chief Wayne Sparrow from Musqueam Nation, Chief Jen Thomas from Tsleil-Waututh Nation and Chief Dean Nelson fromLíl̓wat Nation. "We hope this sets a precedent for future Games and inspires other international sporting organizations to embrace Indigenous leadership and partnership in their events," McVickar said. Along with overseeing the Invictus Games Foundation's visits to the four hosts' lands before their selection, Williams was also part of the London delegation in March 2022 to bid directly. The first night Williams and his team were in London, he called his aunt, a Squamish Elder and language speaker, who was brought to tears as she told him the last time a Squamish person was in London wearing regalia was in 1906 when Chief Joe Capilano addressed then King Edward VII. "It grounded us, but it also helped us prepare for the bid," Williams said. The first picture the delegation showed the foundation during their presentation was of Chief Capilano. "We have this shared healing story, this big commonality of Indigenous people and perseverance and that strength alongside with the Invictus movement," he said. "That's a big part of the unity that we have." Over the past three years Williams has had the opportunity to see the Invictus Games twice, including the closing ceremony in Dusseldorf, Germany in 2023. Sitting in his full regalia, he was moved to tears by the athletes' strength and overcoming their challenges. "It was truly something," he said. The Games have engaged with the four hosts for everything from local Indigenous protocols – including land acknowledgements at each sport sessions – to the design of the logos and medals to the "theming" of the opening and closing ceremonies with colour commentary in Indigenous languages. "I feel, the opening ceremonies is the big welcome to the world and all the people involved in the Invictus Games," Williams said. There has also been cultural education for staff and leadership who have been part of planning the Games. Williams said there will be cultural identification throughout the games such as in the Athlete's Village, contemporary performances and art exhibitions and particularly the medals. Medals designed by Líl̓wat artist The medals were designed by Levi Nelson, a Líl̓wat artist who was also one of the designers of the logo with Mack Paul from Musqueam, Olivia George from Tsleil-Waututh and Ray Natraoro from Squamish. "This is a Coast Salish design on a medal that is going around the necks of warriors and veterans that have fought for us all over this world and I'm so proud to have worked with each and every one of the artists from the Four Host Nations," Nelson wrote in a statement to CBC Sports. "These designs come from our ancestors who were also artists." Nelson said he hopes the legacy of the Games will be the beauty and magic of the west coast as well as healing together, something he said reflected in the design of the medals. The medals come with "quarter bags" for the athletes to safely store them, hand woven by weavers from each of the four nations, who made a total of 800 bags. There were also 50 traditional bentwood boxes handmade to present the medals. McVickar said through the many Indigenous cultural experiencing throughout the Games, "we hope competitors and spectators gain a deeper understanding of the resilience, strength and contributions of Indigenous communities." "More than just a celebration of sport, the Games serve as a powerful reminder of the importance of culture, healing, and connection," she said. Williams said legacy after the Games is one of the most important aspects of the four nations' involvement. "We're looking at our own backyards in regards to the challenges we're having in our communities," he said, referencing the ongoing opioid crisis. Williams said the four host nations are in conversation about how to "put a movement" behind the creation of a community healing centre led by traditional practices. But they also want to continue using sport to advocate for the future of their communities.
