It looks like a moonscape plopped into the middle of paradise.
On one side of the flat dirt terrain is the lush forest of the east bank of the Coquitlam River. On the opposite side, residences are perched up on the west side of Mary Hill watching over it. Look north and Coquitlam city centre and the mountains pierce the horizon. To the south, the cabled towers of the Port Mann Bridge peek high above the trees that stand sentry over the Pitt River.
In the middle is 110 acres of baked dirt. And more dirt is constantly on the way. Hundreds of dump trucks constantly shuttle in and out daily to drop off dirt while excavators move it around. It’s all part of a plan to transform the almost lifeless Kwikwetlem First Nation (KFN) land into a vibrant business park benefiting the band and the Tri-Cities. Kwikwetlem hopes to kick start it by building a health and wellness centre, and is holding a golf tournament this month to raise money for it.
About 50 of Kwikwetlem’s 107 band members live on the other side of the river on an Indian reserve known as IR1. The PoCo property is IR2. The idea to develop IR2 into sustainable revenue and services for the band originally came from former Chief Marvin Joe about 20 years ago, says current KFN Chief Ron Giesbrecht. The band’s subsidiary, Saskay Land Developments, runs the site and employs many band members.
“[Band members] understand it’s going to take time,” says Giesbrecht of the project.
But before a shovel went into the ground, the ground needed to be filled in. A dike was installed on the east side of the Coquitlam River in the 1990s. While the dike prevented floods it also stopped water from the site from flowing into the river creating a bit of a bog.
“It sealed [the water] out and it sealed it in,” said Giesbrecht of the dike.
Now there’s signs of life on the moonscape. Wild grass is popping up on the north end where about 30 acres is ready to be developed. Giesbrecht says overall the property is about two-thirds of the way to having it all at grade.The first phase is expected to kick off next year with the building of a $15 million health and wellness centre on five acres next to the site’s northwest entrance.
The trucks not only provide fill for the site, but revenue for the centre’s construction, too. Builders pay to have a place to put the dirt they take out of the ground to make way for development. Some of the fill even includes dirt tunneled out to make way for the SkyTrain’s Evergreen extension.
Originally plans called for the wellness centre – which will be built on about five acres in the northwest corner of the 110-acre property – to be 60,000 square feet. But that’s been boosted to 105,000 sq. ft., says Giesbrecht.
“We have a wide variety of interest in it now,” says Giesbrecht, who adds the first priority is to attract health service providers who aren’t currently located in the Tri-Cities.
The band’s intent is for the centre to provide a wide range of health services – physicians, chiropractic, physiotherapy, medical imaging, labs, dental, mental health and more – to First Nations and Tri-Cities residents.
A big obstacle to overcome before beginning construction next spring is finalizing a service agreement with the city of Port Coquitlam to hook up to its systems. Even though the business park will be on federal land, the band would like to work out a deal that would see the city maintain the infrastructure.
“It’s a little bit more delicate than an ordinary agreement because it is on federal land,” says Giesbrecht.
But it’s been put on hold until March, he says, because in addition to the unique aspects of the deal, the city is short staffed and in transition.
The city’s director of development services, Laura Lee Richard says in an email to The Tri-City News, “the city continues to work with (KFN’s) consultants to determine their servicing requirements in order to develop the terms to be included in a servicing agreement.”
Giesbrecht says the band’s intent is to exceed all the code and environmental regulations at all levels – municipal, provincial and federal.
“At the end of the day we’re trying to be a good neighbour,” says Giesbrecht.
Last year, the band held a golf tournament that raised $120,000 toward the wellness centre project. It will hold another on Aug. 23 at Swaneset Bay Resort and Country Club in Pitt Meadows. It’s already filled up and there’s a waiting list for the 148 spots, and more than 200 have bought tickets for the banquet.
