Almost 100 members of Stz’uminus First Nation gathered in their community centre on Feb. 10 to discuss ideas for future land use on IR 13, the large swath of reserve lands that stretch from Shell Beach to Kulleet Bay.

As children quietly played, their parents and grandparents listened to a presentation by planners from Urban Systems. They heard that a land use plan will provide direction for the long term and is necessary before the Stz’uminus land code is adopted.

One of the main drivers for future land use are projections that the population will nearly triple over the next 40 years, from about 700 people now to about 2,000.

Photos by Chad Harris of Stz’uminus