Building wealth, keeping culture: inside the economic evolution of Tsawwassen’s entrepreneurs

By Radha Agarwal, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Delta Optimist Seventeen years after making history with British Columbia’s first urban treaty, the business landscape of the Tsawwassen First Nation (TFN) is undergoing a profound generational shift. From major regional economic drivers like the Tsawwassen Mills shopping centre to independent small business creators, the community’s economic footprint is expanding. “The focus has shifted from survival-based entrepreneurship toward long-term wealth creation, employment, and Nation-building,” said Jodaye Garner, TFN’s community business development coordinator. There are currently about 30 member-owned businesses ranging from traditional artisans and food caterers to heavy equipment operators, contractors and professional service providers. “More importantly, both the number of businesses and the scale and ambition of their operations continue to grow,” said Garner. She emphasizes that the 2009 treaty fundamentally transformed…

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