With another $3 million injection from the provincial government, the First Nations Cultural Centre is back on track and preparing for a mid-2007 opening.
The centre, located in the Upper Village on the land opposite the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, was to open in 2006 but funding shortfalls have pushed back that date.
"The date changed because of our funding," said Squamish Chief Gibby Jacob after a traditional ceremony on the site Monday. "We didn’t have enough funding to start with the construction so our best thing to do was to waylay it until we did have the correct amount of money to do the construction, so that’s why it was pushed back a year."
Monday’s $3 million announcement on the grounds of what will become a $20 million facility showcasing Squamish and Lil’wat Nations culture and heritage was welcome news, he added.
Premier Gordon Campbell announced the new funding, bringing the provincial government’s contribution to $6 million to date.
"This is the first time, the first time in Canada, where two First Nations have come together to share their history, to share their culture, and to share their excitement about their future with everyone else," said Campbell to the crowd.
"We are going to commit $6 million to be sure this can be the best it can possibly be for everyone who’s involved."
This provincial contribution puts the total funding for the centre at $13.7 million – $6 million from the province, $4.7 million from the federal government and $3 million from corporate sponsor Bell Canada.
There is still a ways to go said Jacob, especially given the steadily escalating costs of steel and concrete, among other things, but he remains optimistic.
"We’re going to make it through," he said, standing amid construction workers and machinery for site excavation.
A symbol of that optimism was a scroll, signed by dignitaries, and placed in a hermetically sealed tube then covered in concrete. The concrete block will be part of the entranceway to the centre.
Campbell read aloud its message, which said in part: "In celebration of the enduring culture and history of the Squamish and Lil’wat Nations and in recognition of their commitment to the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, these partners and the government of Canada have come together to establish a unique landmark, a facility that will stand as a lasting legacy of the promise of a shared vision of prosperity and opportunity for all."
A replica of the scroll will hang inside the centre, as the original remains incased in concrete.
Lil’wat Chief Leonard Andrew spoke briefly of his skepticism of the project when he came on board midstream, after winning the Mount Currie election in March of 2003. The project had been started under Chief Allen Stager.
Though skeptical at first, Andrew soon realized the importance of this centre.
"Once I got involved, I surely found out in regards to what the goals and the aspirations were of the First Nations," he said.
Among other things, the cultural centre is a way for First Nations to participate in the economic engine of Whistler.
Jacob pointed to the many First Nations workers on site with the construction company Newhaven, a joint venture partnership between Newhaven Construction Group and Squamish Nation, which is 51 per cent owned by the Squamish Nation. A Lil’wat company did the excavation, he added.
"This is what it’s all about," said Jacob. "This is employing our people. This is looking after what we believe.
"When we become contributing members 100 per cent to the economy, both local, regional, provincial and federal economies, our way will be clearer, much more than it is today. We will be again thriving in our traditional territories."
The project will provide 40 to 50 full time jobs over the construction period and roughly 20 year-round and 20 part-time jobs during the peak summer months.
Youth ambassadors from the two nations placed blankets around the shoulders of the chiefs, the premier and Jack Poole, chairman for the board for the Vancouver Organizing Committee. They also placed bandanas on their heads.
"When we wrap someone with a blanket it’s a form of protection to show that this is coming from our heart," said Squamish Nation Chief Ian Campbell. "We also cover them with a bandana, a head dress, to have clarity of thought, for what we are about to do is very important to us.
"This is a step forward, a chapter in our rich history working together in co-operation and unity."
Along with exhibit space for canoes, baskets and carvings in the main centre, there is expected to be a mini totem pole park and eco-tour buildings on the site.
The centre is expected to bring in $1.7 million in revenue during its first year of operations through admissions, cafeteria, eco-walk, theatre shows, gift shop sales and themed conferences, among other things.
"This will be a place where legends are told and where legends are made," said Campbell. "This is a beginning. It is a beginning that celebrates our past. But it is a beginning that creates an even brighter future for the Squamish people, the Lil’wat people and all Canadians."
