Williams Lake First Nation will receive fire protection at its IR#6 property in the city limits of Williams Lake beginning Aug. 1, 2022.
The WLFN property houses its Sugar Cane Cannabis farm-to-gate operation, its Unity cannabis retail store and in the near future the Osprey Nest which will have a restaurant, meeting space and residential suites.
“It is something we have been working toward for a number of years,” said WLFN chief administrative officer Aaron Mannella. “We had an agreement in 2005 but the property had not yet been developed.”
Mannella said the agreement is based on a template that is endorsed by the Canadian Federation of Municipalities and WLFN has worked together at a technical level with staff at the city of Williams Lake.
“We found an outcome that will support both governments.”
During its regular Tuesday, July 19, city council approved entering into the agreement with WLFN for fire protection.
In a report to council with a draft of the agreement the city’s chief administrative officer Gary Muraca said staff have reviewed the fee for fire services in the agreement and are satisfied that it covers the cost of providing fire services to the property.
“It also is in-line with fire service charges applied to similar properties in the city,” Muraca noted.
There will be a fee of $10,000 for the first year of the agreement, with annual increases based on the consumer price index (CPI) after the first year, a five-year term with two additional terms of five years based on mutual agreement and an established dispute process.
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