Thank you, Madam Chief Commissioner.
First of all I want to bring your attention to the annual report. On the front cover is a photo from the Tsawwassen First Nation, who are implementing their treaty. You'll note that the very first section is about the Tsawwassen First Nation's treaty. I just want you to have a look at that.
Several years ago, a big wind storm blew trees down in Stanley Park here in Vancouver. We have a beautiful campground setting right on our beach, Pachena Bay, and it also blew some trees down there. We were still under the Indian Act. It took us seven months to get permission from the minister in Ottawa just to move those trees from the campground to a playing field in the middle of our village. Then we had to get permission to sell them. Luckily, we have a really great relationship with the forest company, and they purchase all the wood that our Huu-ay-aht forestry company produces. We sold the trees, and the money went into our trust account in Ottawa. That's when, through proposals to the minister, we were able to beg for access to that money. The money was still in the hands of the Minister of Indian Affairs in Ottawa.
I spent 20 years at the Maa-nulth Final Agreement negotiations. We concluded our treaty, and our implementation date was April 1, 2011. We're six years into implementation now. We are close to the community of Bamfield. The West Coast Trail ends up in our village. We now own the local store, the local restaurant, the local motel, the local pub, two fishing charter resorts, the airport, and we have our campground, our forest company, and fishing licences. We are free from the shackles of the Indian Act and are now just blossoming into nationhood.
I wanted to share that story with you.