The FNES “catchment area” focuses on the region stretching from Burrard Inlet in the

north and the Strait of Georgia in the west to Port Moody, Coquitlam and Surrey in the

east, encompassing the communities of Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, Delta,

Tsawwassen and New Westminster. The region has a total population of about 2.2 million,

not including the North Vancouver region, which is dealt with in a separate report.

 

The main communities in this region include:

 

City Population (2010 est.)

 

Burnaby               227,389

Delta/Tsawwassen 100,000

New Westminster 66,892

Richmond             196,858

Vancouver           642,843

 

Each community has its own unique characteristics. Of particular interest to this report are the communities and neighbourhoods that are nearest, geographically, to the Musqueam and Tsawwassen First Nations as they provide easy and convenient access to establishing and strengthening new and existing partnerships.

 

 

The traditional territory of the Musqueam Nation comprises much of what is now

Vancouver, the University of British Columbia and surrounding areas. Today, the

Musqueam live on lands located south of Marine Drive near the mouth of the Fraser

River, in the heart of Dunbar-Southlands, one of Vancouver’s upscale

neighbourhoods. According to the 2006 Census, the population of the Musqueam is

1,371 of which 605 are of Aboriginal identity.

FNES Employer Engagement Initiative – Greater Vancouver: March 2011

 

The Musqueam manages several businesses, including the Fraser Arms Hotel, and

holds the leases for the Shaughnessy and University Golf Clubs. It is also exploring

opportunities for joint real estate and property development projects, most notably

with Colliers International, Aquilini Developments, Polygon Homes, and Progressive

Construction, among others.

 

The Musqueam First Nation is located on the southern edge of Vancouver, about 15

minutes from the downtown core. Its closest neighbourhoods are:

 

• Dunbar-Southlands, encompassing the area from West 16th Avenue in the

north to the Fraser River in the south, and the University Endowment Lands

in the west to MacKenzie and Blenheim streets in the east. There are several

commercial and residential areas, including Dunbar Street, West 41st

Avenue, and Southwest Marine Drive.

• Other nearby neighbourhoods include Kerrisdale to the east, Kitsilano-Point

Grey to the north, and UBC to the west.

 

Mouth of the North Arm of the Fraser River showing the Musqueam First Nation in the centre, UBC Endowment Lands on the right.

FNES Employer Engagement Initiative – Greater Vancouver: March 2011

 

 

The Tsawwassen First Nation, population 328,11 is located in the southwestern corner

of the Lower Mainland on the shores of the Strait of Georgia, in the centre of an

agricultural land reserve and bounded by the District of Delta in the north and the

village of Tsawwassen in the south. It is near the entrance to BC Ferries’ Tsawwassen terminal, which provides access to Vancouver Island and the southern Gulf Islands via Highway 17. Deltaport, Port Metro Vancouver’s largest container terminal, is located nearby at Roberts Bank.

The closest communities to the Tsawwassen First Nation are:

 

• Tsawwassen, population 20,933

• Delta, population 96,723

• North Delta, population 51,623

• Ladner, population 21,112

 

In December 2007, the Tsawwassen First Nation signed the first urban treaty in British Columbia. The treaty, which came into effect on April 3, 2009, provides the

Tsawwassen First Nation with land, cash, and resources required to better manage its economic future.

 

 

As mentioned earlier, four out of five jobs in the Mainland/Southwest are in the service sector of which wholesale and retail trade account for the greatest number of jobs (15 per cent), followed by health and social assistance (10.6 per cent), accommodation and food (eight per cent), and professional, scientific and technical services (7.5 per cent). In this context, the following sectors are of particular relevance to the Musqueam and Tsawwassen First Nations:

 

 

According to the latest figures from the Retail Council of Canada, the retail industry is Canada’s third largest industry by number of establishments and second largest labour force, generating more than 12 per cent of all jobs in every community across Canada. In 11 Tsawwassen First Nation website, http://www.tsawwassenfirstnation.com/whoweare.php

FNES Employer Engagement Initiative – Greater Vancouver: March 2011

 

British Columbia, the retail and wholesale industry is the province’s largest employer, employing 354,800 workers and accounting for more than 15 per cent of all jobs in the province in 2008. About three-quarters (75 per cent) of all jobs are in the retail trade while the remaining 25 per cent are in the wholesale trade.

 

Common occupations include:

 

• Retail salespersons and sales clerks

• Managers in retail trade

• Cashiers

• Grocery clerks and store shelf stockers

• Butchers and meat cutters

• Gas station attendants

 

 

Tourism in general is growing faster than ever, outpacing mining, agriculture and forestry as British Columbia’s leading industry. In 2009, tourism generated $13.8 billion in revenue and accounted for more than 128,600 jobs, down slightly from 2008. The tourism sector spans a number of different industries, including:

 

• Accommodation

• Food and beverage services

• Retail trade

• Culture, recreation, entertainment and attractions

• Transportation and warehousing

• Travel services

 

Accommodation and food services is the largest employer in the tourism sector, accounting for more than half of all jobs, followed by transportation services (26 per cent of all jobs) and the retail trade (14 per cent of all tourism-related jobs). It’s projected that the industry will need another 84,000 new tourism workers over the next decade and across all related sectors.

FNES Employer Engagement Initiative – Greater Vancouver: March 2011

 

 

According to the National Allied Golf Associations organization12, golf contributed an estimated $1.6 million towards British Columbia’s GDP in 2009, employing more than 46,685 people in various occupations across the province. An estimated 812,000 BC residents play golf at over 316 golf course facilities. In 2004 alone, the golf industry in British Columbia created more than 12,000 jobs, making it a bigger employer than either the air transportation or paper manufacturing industry.13

The golf sector is more than just a sport. It encompasses a range of services and

occupations, from restaurants and bars to retail services, landscaping and grounds

maintenance, and golf instruction and operations. Types of job opportunities include:

 

• Golf instructors and professionals

• Golf course superintendents

• Cooks and chefs

• Food and beverage services

• Sales clerks and cashiers

• Landscaping and greens keepers

• Cart shop mechanics

 

Of particular interest to this report, the Musqueam First Nation is located in the heart of Vancouver’s prime golfing neighbourhood. In addition to the Musqueam golf course operated by the Musqueam Golf and Learning Academy, nearby golf courses include Point Grey Golf and Country Club, McCleery Golf Course, Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club, Marine Drive Golf Club, and University Golf Club. Of particular interest, both the University Golf Club and the Shaughnessy Golf Club are located on lands leased from the Musqueam.

There is an opportunity for FNES and the Musqueam to work with Michael Mather of the University Golf Club, on a partnership that would explore ways of engaging Aboriginal people in the golfing industry, both in playing the sport as well as increasing opportunities for employment. Mr. Mather has also expressed an interest in developing a program that can be used as a model for other golf courses in the Greater Vancouver area. 12 “Economic impact of golf for Canada,” prepared by Strategic Networks Group Inc. August 14, 2009. 13 “Golf Industry Overview.” http://www.go2hr.ca/CareersinTourism/Sectors/Golf/tabid/1708/Default.aspx

FNES Employer Engagement Initiative – Greater Vancouver: March 2011

 

British Columbia is the third-largest film and television service production centre in North America, after Los Angeles and New York. A total of 239 productions were shot in British Columbia in 2009, employing an estimated 20,000 people.

In particular, British Columbia is becoming well-known in the North American film

industry as a leader in digital animation and special effects, and there are opportunities for employment in those areas. Other job opportunities are in the areas of production (behind the camera), performing (in front of the camera), and creative (screenwriting, etc.).

 

 

Port Metro Vancouver covers the shipping, terminals and industrial activities along

Burrard Inlet, the Fraser River, and the southwest corner of the Lower Mainland. It is considered a critical export gateway to the Asia-Pacific region. According to a recent study on the economic impact of the port, Port Metro Vancouver is one of the most visible contributors to the economy of the Metro Vancouver region.

The study found that Port Metro Vancouver contributes $4.1 billion to the GDP and

supports 47,700 direct jobs in British Columbia.

 

Employment in this sector is expected to grow an average 1.6 per cent over the period 2009 to 2014, creating an estimated 6,240 new job openings in the Mainland/Southwest over that period. However, the nature of this sector makes it difficult to establish the kinds of partnerships covered by this particular Employer Engagement Initiative. More specifically, the majority of employers are bound by collective bargaining agreements that determine the protocols for hiring and recruitment. A separate strategy needs to be developed that would allow FNES to engage both employers and union leaders in a dialogue around partnership opportunities that would meet the requirements of all parties. At the same time, both Musqueam and Tsawwassen First Nations currently have their own, individual partnership agreements with various companies and organizations working on Port Metro Vancouver initiatives. Tsawwassen is also working closely with VanASEP and FNES on the Supply Chain program and development of the Gateway Skills Centre.