On November 10th kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) First Nation held a a special cultural blessing and ground-breaking ceremony for a new Sockeye Hatchery that will be built nearby the Coquitlam Dam in the heart of the Nation’s traditional, ancestral and unceded territory known as the skʷƛ̓əma:ɬ x̌acaʔ (Coquitlam Lake) Watershed.

The kʷikʷəƛ̓əm Sockeye Hatchery is a crucial next step in the Nation’s long-term goal of restoring the run of Coquitlam Sockeye that once flourished in the Nation’s territory, and that sustained their people for thousands of years for food and culture, before the Coquitlam Dam opened in 1913 and virtually eliminated the salmon that flourished there..

The Kwikwetlem Nation, along with their elders, past and present, as well as countless allies, have worked tirelessly to restore this run of sockeye back to our ancestral lands and waters for decades. "Today, we acknowledge a new beginning, by ways of UNDRIP Articles and Reconciliation, with our partners during this ceremony held for the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm Sockeye Hatchery that we hope will give us a better chance of bringing the sockeye back home,” said kʷikʷəƛ̓əm Chief Ed Hall. “The construction of the Coquitlam Dam is one of the most significant colonial harms done to kʷikʷəƛ̓əm First Nation and our People as it took away the salmon from our rivers and food away from our cupboards,” said kʷikʷəƛ̓əm Councillor George Chaffee. “We have been fighting to restore our Indigenous rights to fish in our territory ever since former Chief Johnnie Williams wrote to the federal government back in 1899 urging them not to dam the Coquitlam River. The destiny of kʷikʷəƛ̓əm First Nation is tied to the future of this fish whose name we proudly carry. Just like the fish, we didn’t die, and we are proud to be back as stewards and guardians of our territory with the new kʷikʷəƛ̓əm Sockeye Hatchery.”

The kʷikʷəƛ̓əm Sockeye Hatchery is being led by kʷikʷəƛ̓əm First Nation in partnership with BC Hydro, Metro Vancouver and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. kʷikʷəƛ̓əm First Nation is responsible for operating the hatchery once completed, which is expected to be by early 2023.

The kʷikʷəƛ̓əm Sockeye Hatchery will also highlight the Nation’s culture and history through cultural design elements as well as interpretive display areas around the hatchery. “The kʷikʷəƛ̓əm Sockeye Hatchery is an important part of the Nation’s overall Indigenous Guardianship Program. Members have told us how important the fish are to them, and we are excited about the opportunities to train our members to learn about fish conservation so that they can take on important jobs working in the hatchery,” said kʷikʷəƛ̓əm Councillor John Peters.

BC Hydro has committed funding to a 10-year program to design, build and operate the hatchery. The details of this funding agreement are being worked out by multiple entities. The agreement will also include hatchery technical work experience to train kʷikʷəƛ̓əm members to assume hatchery jobs. “We recognize the historic significance of salmon to the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm First Nation and acknowledge the impacts of the Coquitlam Dam on salmon in the area,” says Chris O’Riley, President and CEO of BC Hydro. Metro Vancouver is providing the land and water supply for the hatchery as well as land for the nearby cultural use area.

“In keeping with Metro Vancouver’s commitment to reconciliation, we are pleased to take part in actions that revitalize kʷikʷəƛ̓əm First Nation’s ability to honour its culture and reconnect with the land and water in its territory,” said Sav Dhaliwal, chair of the Metro Vancouver Board of Directors.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is providing technical support for the hatchery including review and technical guidance from DFO hatchery technicians, biologists and veterinarians. “We are pleased to work in partnership with kʷikʷəƛ̓əm First Nation, BC Hydro and Metro Vancouver on the restoration and rebuilding of Coquitlam sockeye. We are happy to provide Salmonid Enhancement Program support and expertise to help build capacity towards this important goal with the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm Nation,” said Brigid Payne, Director of Salmon Enhancement, Fisheries and Oceans.

The kʷikʷəƛ̓əm people have lived in our traditional territory, known as the Coquitlam Watershed, and the surrounding areas, since before remembered time. kʷikʷəƛ̓əm draw their hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ name “Red Fish Up the River” from a run of spring sockeye salmon that once flourished in the territory before the Coquitlam Dam was built. Elders talk of these sockeyes running so thick that it was difficult to navigate canoes. Their name reflects the strong connection their people have always had to their lands, and the river and lake at the heart of their traditional, unceded and ancestral territory.