Building a Future Vancouver

Sen̓áḵw's return to the Squamish people marks a monumental victory after years of legal battles. Across Canada, Indigenous nations are reclaiming their rights, holding Canada accountable for fulfilling its end of the reconciliation pact. Critics believe that tall buildings and urban densification are somehow discordant with Indigenous principles, but I believe that current projects in Vancouver offer an assertion to placemaking Indigenous-driven empowerment that will ideally shape a more progressive city for everyone.

Critics may be expecting Indigenous reconciliation to rewind history. But it's not about erasing the past. Indigenous-led projects like Sen̓áḵw challenge the status quo, offering an architecture design (process) and community-centred designs that reflect thousands of years of heritage and placemaking.

I support this period in Canadian urban history that amplifies Indigenous voices and embraces their process. And I have confidence in the process that creates authentic urban places.