Non-band members who reside on the Semiahmoo First Nation reserve have learned that they have until till 4 p.m. April 30 to come up with $50,000 91裸聊视频� the minimum it will cost to connect their homes to Surrey91裸聊视频檚 water and sanitary sewer lines 91裸聊视频� or start packing.
SFN Chief Harley Chappell said Wednesday the news, shared April 2, was a necessary step in ongoing efforts to improve the Semiahmoo91裸聊视频檚 standard of living, with water for drinking and fire-suppression, as well as sanitary sewer services.
The ultimate goal, he said, is to have a longstanding boil-water advisory lifted.
91裸聊视频淩eally, that91裸聊视频檚 the driving force behind this,91裸聊视频� Chappell told Peace Arch News. 91裸聊视频淔or Semiahmoo to be lifted off the boil-water advisory, everybody needs to be hooked up to municipal services.
91裸聊视频淏y no means is this anything personal. This is to91裸聊视频� move us into a new era.91裸聊视频�
READ MORE:
READ MORE:
READ MORE:
He confirmed 36 homes on three lots are affected, and that residents who can91裸聊视频檛 or won91裸聊视频檛 pay will have two months 91裸聊视频� until June 15 91裸聊视频� to return the property to its natural state and leave.
Some who received the notice described it as 91裸聊视频渟o unreasonable.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淲e need help, there are many seniors as well as my dad (who face losing their) homes they built and younger people that recently purchased (their) homes,91裸聊视频� Nicole Brideau told PAN by email Tuesday.
91裸聊视频淐an they do this when the government is funding the water91裸聊视频� project?91裸聊视频�
Brideau said her father, 77, has lived on the reserve for 45 years. He and other non-band members are 91裸聊视频渘ot at all91裸聊视频� able to pay the $50,000 she said.
91裸聊视频淣obody is, actually, and they know that.
91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 know how this is in any way right.91裸聊视频�
Chappell said neither the fee nor timeline should have come as much of a surprise to those who received the notice, which also details additional costs to non-members including 91裸聊视频渓ift station91裸聊视频� fees of $60,000.
Conversations around establishing the connections began in 2017, a year after notice from the City of White Rock that the band91裸聊视频檚 access to the waterfront city91裸聊视频檚 supply was to end, Chappell said.
During that first conversation, non-band members were advised that costs associated with connecting their homes 91裸聊视频渨ould be on them,91裸聊视频� a reality Chappell says they were reminded of during a September 2018 meeting.
91裸聊视频淚t was kind of that hard, first conversation that we started to say, 91裸聊视频榯his is going to cost you a substantial amount of funds and get ready,91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� he said.
91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频榊ou need to start making some choices and decisions around what you91裸聊视频檙e going to do, working towards hooking up to this infrastructure or not, and the 91裸聊视频榦r not91裸聊视频� is, well then you can no longer reside on Semiahmoo First Nation.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 not an easy conversation, it91裸聊视频檚 not an easy direction we have to move, but it is a direction the Semiahmoo needs to move to raise the living standards of Semiahmoo.91裸聊视频�
Brideau said a figure as high as $50,000 was never mentioned.
The SFN has been under a permanent boil-water advisory since 2005. Following a servicing agreement reached with Surrey last summer, the band received approval for the milestone infrastructure from Indigenous Services Canda in January.
The $10-million project 91裸聊视频� during which more than two kilometres of pipe is to be laid between Highway 99 and the Little Campbell River 91裸聊视频� got underway in March, and it91裸聊视频檚 hoped the first connection will be complete by the end of the year.
At a March 8 groundbreaking ceremony, Chappell described the occasion as 91裸聊视频渁 very momentous, historic day for the Semiahmoo.91裸聊视频�
He told PAN that same day that consultation was still underway with non-band members regarding their connections, as federal funding only covers SFN members, and that costs of that had yet to be determined.
Wednesday, he noted that non-members have been living on the reserve as month-to-month 91裸聊视频渂uckshee91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� without a formal agreement 91裸聊视频� residents since 2008, when the ISC cancelled all cottage leases.
He acknowledged that the process of late 91裸聊视频渉as been extremely quick, and ultimately, that has filtered down.91裸聊视频�
He said it took on additional urgency in late December, following a suspicious fire at his father91裸聊视频檚 home. No one was hurt, but 91裸聊视频渆verything was lost,91裸聊视频� he said.
Chappell confirmed the blaze factored into a decision to include a clear warning in the April 2 notice that 91裸聊视频渁ny perceived threats91裸聊视频� or damage will not be tolerated.
91裸聊视频淚f there91裸聊视频檚 even rumblings of it, removal will happen immediately,91裸聊视频� he told PAN.
Chappell said while he had anticipated some upset from non-band members regarding the infrastructure costs, 91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 know how anybody could ever have any issue with bringing water and sanitary sewer to the community, and fire suppression.91裸聊视频�
A meeting is planned for next week with non-band members who decide to stay, to 91裸聊视频渟tart discussion91裸聊视频� on what incurring the costs is going to look like, he said. Asked if those who choose to stay will have any guarantee that they won91裸聊视频檛 be asked to leave once their connection is in place, Chappell said 91裸聊视频渋f people choose to invest, then we91裸聊视频檙e invested in working with them.91裸聊视频�
The ISC will not issue any new leases until after the boil-water advisory is lifted, he noted.
