Your Number One
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March 19, 1986

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News 985-2131

Classified 986-6222

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Circulation 986-1337 44 pages 25¢

INDIAN BAND UNAWARE OF TALKS BREAKDOWN

NEGOTIATIONS for leasing Ambleside Park from the
Squamish Indian Band have reached an impasse, said West
Vancouver Mayor Derrick Humphreys in a statement

released Tuesday.

Humphreys said the municipali-
ty offered to pay the band a rent
of $20,000 per year for the 25 acres
of waterfront property.

But he said the band demands
$50,000 per year and has refused
to negotiate further.

Squamish Band Chief Philip Joe
said the band still considers itself
to be in negotiations, and he said
its rent offer is not unreasonable.

“Whar do you think waterfront
property is worth?’’ Joe asked.

“IT bet West Vancouver has paid
$250,000 for the lots of Bellevue
Avenue,”’ he said, noting the lot
sizes to be about 60 by 120 feet.

But Humphreys said trying to
compare waterfront property to a
zoned residential area is similar to
comparing apples and oranges.

By NOEL WRIGHT
& KiM PEMBERTOD

“At one time that park was
swampland,"’ he said.

In an official statement, Hum-
phreys said the municipality spent
nearly $500,000 to develop the area
by bringing in an estimated 88,000
cubic yards of fill and constructing
the seawalk to stabilize the
shoreline.

Joe said the band is aware of the
municipality’s expenditures, but
said the city has enjoyed the
benefits of the park for many years
at a low rental from the federal
government,

‘“*The West Vancouver
municipality has rented it for 21

years at $3,000 a year, so they
can’t complain,’ Joe said, ex-
plaining the band is asking for rent
retroactive to 1984,

The federal government desig-
nated Ambleside Park as Indian
reserve land in 1983, at which time
the Squamish Band was awarded

CHIEF Philip Joe of the Squamish
Indian Band...wants fair price for
waterside property.

its cutoff land claim settlement.

Joe said the band has been
negotiating with the federal gov-
ernment for the lands since 1963.

In 1983, Joe said the band of-
fered to sell the parkland to either
the provincial government or the
local municipality, but neither side
accepted. Joe said he could not
recall the asking price.

“There was a difficulty with
Ambleside Park and the provincial
government asked how we could
resolve that -—- so we said we'd
back off and let. you take it for
your people. :

“That was a big point we gave
up, but it sat on the (negotiating)
table for two years and no one
wanted to buy it,’’ he said.

Humphreys said he was not
aware of this past issue with
negotiations, but that his concern
is with current negotiations.

According to Humphrey's
statement: ‘‘Negotiations have

Pe OO i eee -
"NEWS photo Stuart Davis:

been ongoing since October, 1984
when the band agreed that it would
negotiate the lease of the land to
the municipality subject to the
municipality agreeing to provide
municipal services to one addi-
tional development in the Park
Royal Shopping Centre area (near

WEST VANCOUVER mayor Der-
rick Humphreys...‘‘the band has
refused all negotiations.’’

the band’s reserve land).

“Council subsequently agreed to
the band’s precondition, subject to
concerns such as traffic and
building location being jointly ad-
dressed by the municipality and the
band council.’”’

Humphreys said: ‘‘3y March,
1985 the municipality put forward
a proposal for the lease of the
waterfront parkland from the band
council,..but negotiations were
cancelled by the band until Oct.
11, 1985.

‘*..At that date, the band also
gave the municipal negotiators a
draft servicing agreement for the
proposed Kapilano 200 develop-
ment in the Park Royal Shopping
Centre area,’’ Humphreys said.

‘*When the municipal
negotiators met with the band

See Indians

“pal 50,000 pel
‘rented land.: ~

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