Non-band members who reside on the Semiahmoo First Nation reserve have learned that they have until till 4 p.m. April 30 to come up with $50,000 害羞草研究所� the minimum it will cost to connect their homes to Surrey害羞草研究所檚 water and sanitary sewer lines 害羞草研究所� or start packing.

SFN Chief Harley Chappell said Wednesday the news, shared April 2, was a necessary step in ongoing efforts to improve the Semiahmoo害羞草研究所檚 standard of living, with water for drinking and fire-suppression, as well as sanitary sewer services.

The ultimate goal, he said, is to have a longstanding boil-water advisory lifted.

害羞草研究所淩eally, that害羞草研究所檚 the driving force behind this,害羞草研究所� Chappell told Peace Arch News. 害羞草研究所淔or Semiahmoo to be lifted off the boil-water advisory, everybody needs to be hooked up to municipal services.

害羞草研究所淏y no means is this anything personal. This is to害羞草研究所� move us into a new era.害羞草研究所�

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He confirmed 36 homes on three lots are affected, and that residents who can害羞草研究所檛 or won害羞草研究所檛 pay will have two months 害羞草研究所� until June 15 害羞草研究所� to return the property to its natural state and leave.

Some who received the notice described it as 害羞草研究所渟o unreasonable.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淲e need help, there are many seniors as well as my dad (who face losing their) homes they built and younger people that recently purchased (their) homes,害羞草研究所� Nicole Brideau told PAN by email Tuesday.

害羞草研究所淐an they do this when the government is funding the water害羞草研究所� project?害羞草研究所�

Brideau said her father, 77, has lived on the reserve for 45 years. He and other non-band members are 害羞草研究所渘ot at all害羞草研究所� able to pay the $50,000 she said.

害羞草研究所淣obody is, actually, and they know that.

害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 know how this is in any way right.害羞草研究所�

Chappell said neither the fee nor timeline should have come as much of a surprise to those who received the notice, which also details additional costs to non-members including 害羞草研究所渓ift station害羞草研究所� fees of $60,000.

Conversations around establishing the connections began in 2017, a year after notice from the City of White Rock that the band害羞草研究所檚 access to the waterfront city害羞草研究所檚 supply was to end, Chappell said.

During that first conversation, non-band members were advised that costs associated with connecting their homes 害羞草研究所渨ould be on them,害羞草研究所� a reality Chappell says they were reminded of during a September 2018 meeting.

害羞草研究所淚t was kind of that hard, first conversation that we started to say, 害羞草研究所榯his is going to cost you a substantial amount of funds and get ready,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 he said.

害羞草研究所満π卟菅芯克鶚You need to start making some choices and decisions around what you害羞草研究所檙e going to do, working towards hooking up to this infrastructure or not, and the 害羞草研究所榦r not害羞草研究所� is, well then you can no longer reside on Semiahmoo First Nation.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not an easy conversation, it害羞草研究所檚 not an easy direction we have to move, but it is a direction the Semiahmoo needs to move to raise the living standards of Semiahmoo.害羞草研究所�

Brideau said a figure as high as $50,000 was never mentioned.

The SFN has been under a permanent boil-water advisory since 2005. Following a servicing agreement reached with Surrey last summer, the band received approval for the milestone infrastructure from Indigenous Services Canda in January.

The $10-million project 害羞草研究所� during which more than two kilometres of pipe is to be laid between Highway 99 and the Little Campbell River 害羞草研究所� got underway in March, and it害羞草研究所檚 hoped the first connection will be complete by the end of the year.

At a March 8 groundbreaking ceremony, Chappell described the occasion as 害羞草研究所渁 very momentous, historic day for the Semiahmoo.害羞草研究所�

He told PAN that same day that consultation was still underway with non-band members regarding their connections, as federal funding only covers SFN members, and that costs of that had yet to be determined.

Wednesday, he noted that non-members have been living on the reserve as month-to-month 害羞草研究所渂uckshee害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� without a formal agreement 害羞草研究所� residents since 2008, when the ISC cancelled all cottage leases.

He acknowledged that the process of late 害羞草研究所渉as been extremely quick, and ultimately, that has filtered down.害羞草研究所�

He said it took on additional urgency in late December, following a suspicious fire at his father害羞草研究所檚 home. No one was hurt, but 害羞草研究所渆verything was lost,害羞草研究所� he said.

Chappell confirmed the blaze factored into a decision to include a clear warning in the April 2 notice that 害羞草研究所渁ny perceived threats害羞草研究所� or damage will not be tolerated.

害羞草研究所淚f there害羞草研究所檚 even rumblings of it, removal will happen immediately,害羞草研究所� he told PAN.

Chappell said while he had anticipated some upset from non-band members regarding the infrastructure costs, 害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 know how anybody could ever have any issue with bringing water and sanitary sewer to the community, and fire suppression.害羞草研究所�

A meeting is planned for next week with non-band members who decide to stay, to 害羞草研究所渟tart discussion害羞草研究所� on what incurring the costs is going to look like, he said. Asked if those who choose to stay will have any guarantee that they won害羞草研究所檛 be asked to leave once their connection is in place, Chappell said 害羞草研究所渋f people choose to invest, then we害羞草研究所檙e invested in working with them.害羞草研究所�

The ISC will not issue any new leases until after the boil-water advisory is lifted, he noted.