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THURSDAY OCTOBER 18, 2018
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Emotional visit for Xeni Gwet’in Theresa McManus tmcmanus@newwestrecord.ca
A visit to the old courthouse and a former cemetery site in NewWestminster was an emotional day for members of the Xeni Gwet’in First Nation. Xeni Gwet’in First Nation is one of six Tsilhqot’in communities that make up the Tsilhqot’in Nation. Tsilhqot’in Chief Ahan was executed in NewWestminster in 1865, but it’s unclear where he was buried, with locations near the old courthouse in downtown and a former cemetery on the high school sites being considered potential sites. “It was emotional,” said Coun. Chuck Puchmayr, who recently accompanied the visitors to the both sites. “It was very powerful.” The visitors intend to visit NewWestminster again on July 18, 2019, which will be the 154th anniversary of Ahan’s execution in NewWestminster. Ahan was one of six Tsilhqot’in chiefs sentenced to hang for their roles in the ChilcotinWar. “He was a hero. All of the six chiefs were heroes,” Puchmayr said. “They were defending their land.” In March, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued an apology on behalf of the federal government, saying the six chiefs were leaders of a nation and were acting in accordance with their laws and traditions.That followed a 2014 apology by then B.C. Premier Christy Clark for the “wrongful” executions of leaders who were “engaged in a territorial dispute to defend their lands and their peoples.”
Puchmayr, who has spearheaded efforts to create a sister community relationship between the city and the Tl-etinqox government, has been invited to witness Trudeau’s visit of their declared title lands in November. It will be the first time in Canadian history that the prime minister will meet with the people and address the wrongs of the Chilcotin War of 1864/65. When meeting with the Xeni Gwet’in delegation, Puchmayr showed them maps from the city’s archives that showed the new high school isn’t being built on land once home to a cemetery. Xeni Gwet’in Chief Jimmy Lulua, who was among those who visited NewWestminster, expressed a desire to be part of a local committee that will be discussing ways of honouring and memorializing the cemetery site. While visiting the site of the old courthouse on Carnarvon Street, talk turned to the presence of the Judge Begbie statue in front of today’s courthouse. Begbie had presided over the murder trial of five of the Tsilhqot’in chiefs, who were found guilty and sentenced to hang in 1864. “We were standing in front of the old courthouse, and Judge Begbie’s statute was right behind us,” Puchmayr said. “Some believe Begbie should be there as a reminder, but there should also be recognition of Ahan. Most of the Tsilhqot’in people think that the statue should be taken down, just like the Law Society did in Vancouver when they took the Begbie statue down.”
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City finally adopts its Future Forward strategy Theresa McManus tmcmanus@newwestrecord.ca
LET ’ER RIP: Five-year-old Aiden Karmazinuk fights to hold on to a fire hose with some support from city recreation leader Paolo Zenone Saturday at an open house hosted by the New West fire department. See more photos on page 15. PHOTO JENNIFER GAUTHIER
The City of New Westminster’s new economic development plan has crossed the finish line. Council recently adopted the Future Forward plan, which has been in the works since the fall of 2016. The plan has four main goals: establish New Westminster’s reputation as an ideal location for both start-ups and established businesses to thrive and grow; drive New Westminster’s commitment to delivery of a positive business experience at city hall; secure diversity in the local economic base through recruitment, retention and expansion activities; and support livability initiatives that make New Westminster a great place to live, work and invest. “The supporting actions focus on marketing and promoting the city as a place for business, solidifying key stakeholder relations and development of collaboration initiatives while laying the foundation for continued economic growth,” said a staff report. “Furthermore, business retention and attraction efforts focus on the key sectors of education, health care and technology and creative.These sectors share well-paying jobs and growth potential, critical factors for business in the larger Metro Vancouver region.” Continued on page 8
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