The Stk’emlupsemc te Secwepemc says it is in the process of acquiring 140 acres of land near the Kamloops Airport.

In its October 2021 newsletter, the SSN – which includes Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc and the Skeetchestn Indian Band – says the land currently belongs to the federal government and was an agricultural research centre for 78 years, until it was shut down in 2013. The land is on Tranquille Road north of the Kamloops Golf and Country Club.

“Since that time, the SSN has been engaged with the federal government over the disposition of this land and indicated its interest in having the land returned to its original owners,” the newsletter says.

It says the federal election caused a hold-up in the process to the transfer the land and the existing buildings on it. But the SSN says it was told earlier this month by federal government representatives that the transfer will be happening.

The SSN says this land transfer shows a commitment to reconciliation by the federal government.

The bands say they have hired a design firm to do a land use plan. Further details aren’t yet clear, as the SSN points out a public announcement has not yet been made.