Gambier OCP shift: Trust committee to embed First Nations policy directives

By Jordan Copp, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Coast Reporter The Gambier Island Local Trust Committee voted to draft amendments that embed Squamish Nation–driven directives into the Official Community Plan (OCP), moving reconciliation from principle to policy. Planner Melanie Zupanek said the project now requires “a much more focused work program” so the LTC can complete tangible components before the fall 2026 election cycle. She framed the first step as bringing forward OCP language that “is grounded in the reality of these issues.” Staff outlined a narrowed work plan focused on implementing Squamish Nation recommendations A1, A2, A4 and A5 — including updated acknowledgements, explicit reconciliation commitments, and recognition of how historic settlement patterns and protected‑area designations have affected Indigenous cultural use — followed by advisory planning commission review and limited…

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