K’omoks First Nation on Vancouver Island votes to ratify treaty, constitution
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Monthly Digital Subscription
$0 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*No charge for 4 weeks then price increases to the regular rate of $19.00 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
Monthly Digital Subscription
$4.75/week*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $19 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $16.99 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $23.99 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/03/2025 (247 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The K’omoks First Nation on Vancouver Island says members have voted in favour of both a treaty and constitution, paving the way for a “transition to self-government.”
The nation’s elected Chief Councillor Nicole Rempel says the vote “marks a momentous day” for the K’omoks First Nation.
The nation says 83 per cent of the votes went in favour of ratifying the K’omoks constitution, and 81 per cent voted in favour of the treaty, but a date for it to come into effect is yet to be determined by the First Nation and the provincial and federal governments.
Premier David Eby looks on as Minister for Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Christine Boyle during the swearing-in ceremony at Government House in Victoria, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
It says work over the next three years will involve a restructuring of the Nation’s governing bodies and developing laws, while “carefully considering the tremendous economic opportunities that lay ahead.”
The K’omoks says the province and the federal government must pass legislation to ratify the treaty, which it says will be signed next year.
Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Christine Boyle says the treaty “is a path to self-governance,” and congratulated the First Nation’s leadership for the successful vote on a treaty that’s been in negotiations since 1994.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 9, 2025.