Heron

səmiq̓ʷəʔelə (Pronounced Suh-mEE-kwuh EL-uh)

The Site

səmiq̓ʷəʔelə (pronounced suh-mEE-kwuh EL-uh) – meaning Place of the Great Blue Heron – is within the ancestral and core territory of kʷikʷəƛ̓əm. This 244-acre site is home to several of B.C.’s mental health and substance use programs and a unique ecosystem of trees, plants and wildlife.

The Project

Through a reconciliation-based partnership, BC Housing and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm are working in consultation with various groups to create a redevelopment plan for the site’s future.

 

Featured Video

The səmiq̓ʷəʔelə/Riverview site is a 244-acre site in the core and traditional territories of kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem First Nation). For roughly 100 years, this site was a hub for mental health care in B.C. kʷikʷəƛ̓əm and BC Housing are pleased to return this site back to a hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ name. It will now be called səmiq̓ʷəʔelə, meaning “Place of the Great Blue Heron.”