Heavy weight is placed on young shoulders

When many young people his age are pursuing higher education, new Tsawwassen First Nation Chief Bryce Williams is leading his nation.
The role is undoubtedly demanding for even the most seasoned politician, but for Williams, who is just 23 and now holds the workings of B.C.’s first urban treaty in his hands, things seem exceptionally weighty.

Williams defeated the community’s long-time chief and landmark treaty negotiator Kim Baird, 42, in a Sept. 5 election. Williams said he is confident he can take the reins and direct his people toward a better future.

“I obviously feel pretty good,” Williams said of his election win.
“Not to take anything away from the last chief and council, but I think now we’ll have even more of a voice heard from the people,” Williams told Raven’s Eye during an interview at the nation’s office. “It’s gonna work out,” he promised.

“I’ve got a strong mind and a strong heart [and] I believe that I have what it takes to be a leader in this community,” he assured.
“We are definitely ready for a new change and this just seems like the right time for everyone to flourish and grow and become the community that we’re all ready for,” said Tim Lorenz, 30, a maintenance worker and Tsawwassen member.

“He definitely spoke to me. It kind of opened my eyes,” Lorenz said of William’s platform promises and future community initiatives, which include the creation of a traditional artists’ center where members can express traditional culture through carving, as well as launching a youth-focused canoe club for culture and sport purposes.

Lorenz, who backed Williams, said the new chief’s age was not a deterring factor in his vote, especially considering that Baird had begun her political career in her 20s and was considered a youth when she ran and was elected on council.

Baird, who held the leadership role for more than a decade and ushered in an economically lucrative  new post-treaty era for the nearly 500 members of her  community said she was “in shock,” over the election results that saw her lose by just nine ballots in the tight 78 to 69 vote outcome.

“I am in shock more than anything,’ she said during a phone interview. “I’m going through a range of emotions,” she said, admitting that a sense of grief tops that list.

“It’s better to be able to choose the time when you leave. I didn’t have that opportunity,” Baird said.

“Obviously I have some disappointment in the results and disappointment in the low turnout in the number of people that voted,” she added.

Baird said she can only speculate why the vote didn’t lean in her favour, citing everything from a lack of internal community liasing and networking on her part to a case of stratified community demographic. Baird also admits she may have ruffled the feathers of some members during her decade-plus stretch as leader.

“I’ve been in office for 13 years. I’ve had time to accumulate a lot of baggage…. In 13 years you have time to make unpopular decisions,” she said candidly.

While Baird can only speculate as to why she came up short, she claims low voter turnout had to have an impact on results.
“Normally we have a higher participation level,” she said. “Obviously the more people that participated the more clearer the community will is,” she said.

Of the 439 Tsawwassen members, 260 are eligible to vote and only about 50 per cent hit the polling stations.

Despite the loss, Baird said she is pleased with the legacy she has left under her tenure and hopes that the strategic foundation she was instrumental in creating remains intact for the independently governed First Nation.

“We’ve created a strong system as a self –governing First Nation… Hopefully the strategic planning direction will be carrying on,” she said.

“We have a range of things underway and I think it is up to [Williams] to continue in that direction,” she added.

Williams said he is committed to carrying out current and future Tsawwassen projects spearheaded by the former chief and executive council. Projects underway for the First Nation include a massive shopping mall and a residential development.

Last January 97 per cent of Tsawwassen citizens voted in favour of granting a 99-year lease allowing the creation of a mammoth shopping complex slated for development near the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal. The 1.8 million-sq. ft. mall, offices and entertainment complex is expected to be complete by 2015.

The First Nation has also signed on to allow the development of a multi-million dollar residential complex on their lands. The agreement is with Aquilini Development Inc., headed by local investor and Vancouver Canucks franchise owner Francesco Aquilini. The residential development is one of the first post-treaty projects currently underway. Through the Tsawwassen land-use agreement more than 1,500 single-detached homes and townhouses, and 280 apartment units are expected to be built over the next decade.

Williams said he sees economic development projects as a necessary way to generate jobs for his people and distribute needed revenue to the Nation’s health, wellness, culture and social development coffers.

Williams said community consultation is an important aspect of leadership and he plans to remain open to feedback during his term as chief.

“I’ll always be involved in my community no matter what. I will always have a voice and I’ll always try and be there for everybody in any way I can,” said Williams.

“I am always going to be the same person that I am. I am always going to have my door open to listen to [community] concerns,” he assured.

Baird said she is moving past the defeat and looking forward to future opportunities; opportunities that she says are “opening up to her.” Although Baird would not disclose those opportunities, she did say they do not involve working with her Tsawwassen First Nation.

In the interim Baird will remain employed with Tsawwassen in an “advisory role” to new chief and executive council.

The new governance term began Sept 16. The chief and executive council were officially sworn into their roles during the First Nation’s Annual General Meeting held Sept 22.