Nathan Cullen, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, and lhe hiwus (Chief) Lenora Joe, shíshálh Nation (shíshálh), have released the following joint statement:

“The Province and shíshálh thank those who took the time to contribute thoughtful, respectful and meaningful comments on the proposed changes to the shíshálh swiya Dock Management Plan. Today, as promised, we’ve released our ‘what we heard’ report outlining the key themes and feedback captured during the public engagement period. The comments and questions we received have been invaluable in helping guide our next steps forward as we consider further changes to reflect feedback.

“People care deeply for our coast and together our commitment is to support the long-term health of coastal communities, promote resilient ecosystems, ensure the viability of marine industries and local businesses, support people’s ability to enjoy their properties and docks, and the conserve archeological sites and cultural practices. The shíshálh Nation has stewarded shíshálh swiya (world, territory) since time immemorial, and we are committed to continuing to work together to safeguard the natural environments and the cultural values they contribute for everyone.

“The shíshálh swiya Dock Management Plan is an important tool to provide management guidance, and we heard you that it needs to be revised to better balance other values and interests while maintaining environmental preservation. We will be proposing further amendments to the shíshálh swiya Dock Management Plan in response to the feedback we have received.

“We want to get this right. We will share further information on proposed changes to the Dock Management Plan in the days ahead. Together we want to implement good dock standards for a long, sustainable and enjoyable future on the Sunshine Coast.”

To read the What We Heard Report, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/crown-land-water/crown-land/regional-crown-land-initiatives/pender-harbour-project