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The development lobby’s idea of reconciliation: “First Nations will soon become the largest developers in the Province”.


By Sasha Izard
December 28, 2024

On July 8, 2021 an email was sent (see excerpt above) from the Urban Development Institute (UDI) to David Eby, while he was the Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing (he would become Premier over 2 years later).

The UDI is a Provincially registered lobbying organization representing the interests of/offering political influence to its paying corporate members involved in development and real estate.

The letter (which can be viewed in full in the references section at the end of this article) was oddly titled: “Re: Ideas that do not need further discussion with UDI”. Yet, despite the title, it really does look like just another of their lobbying letters, and had some pretty strong suggestions not unusual for the UDI’s letters to the Premier:

This was effectively accomplished when the Province advanced Bill 44, 3 years later.

The UDI’s closeness to TransLink has been documented in the past. TransLink is a paying member of the UDI, and the President and CEO of the UDI who wrote the letter, has been serving on TransLink’s Real Estate Advisory Group/Committee.

The Province’s passing of Bill 47, 3 years later achieved many of the UDI’s key objectives regarding their lobbying that the Province force densification along TransLink and BC Transit lines. The section in the letter about the regional government Metro Vancouver, can be seen as a direct precursor to Bill 47:

In the letter, they even suggested redeveloping schools and libraries to include housing, something that the NDP leadership and various aligned councils have been promoting ever since, and which has also been a suggestion of so-called “creative placemaking” initiatives.

Of all their wide-ranging suggestions in the letter, perhaps the most striking, is the section regarding First Nations:

The statement that “First Nations will soon become the largest developers in the Province” and “this should be celebrated as a positive step towards reconciliation” might have some puzzled as to what is being referred to, that is until one looks at some of the First Nations developments coming down the pipeline in the Greater Vancouver area.

A lobbying letter to David Eby, less than a year later, also by the UDI and it’s President and CEO Anne McMullin on March 10, 2022, covered much of the same ground and contains a section that is quite revealing of what was being discussed less than a year previously:

Yes, if the First Nations agree to super massive development, almost nothing could balk the UDI’s grandiose and highly profitable plans for British Columbia.

Yet how could David Negrin, the former Chair of the UDI have said with confidence that First Nations will soon become the largest developers in the Province?

The letter mentions that he made the comment a few years ago.

At the time of writing Negrin’s LinkedIn page describes him as Chief Executive Officer at MST Development Corporation, a position he has held since December 2016.

MST stands for three First Nations groups: the Musqueam Indian Band, the Squamish Nation, and the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, which are partners in the corporation, as listed on its Partners page:

The Partners – MST Development Corporation

A few months ago, I wrote an article to document which First Nations groups are involved with the Urban Development Institute in terms of membership. The UDI has been hiding its members directory from the general public since November 21, 2023; but a backup copy was made.

The backed-up UDI members directory (November 2023) contains 5 First Nations organizations listed:

1. M’akola Development Services
2. Musqueam Capital Corporation (Greater Vancouver) Vancouver.
3. Nch‘ḵay̓ Development Corporation of the Squamish Nation.
4. Songhees Development Corp. (Victoria)
5. Westbank First Nation (Kelowna)

The MST Partners page mentions the Musqueam Capital Corporation:

“The Musqueam Indian Band have a proven track record of successful economic development projects throughout our traditional lands. In 2012, the Musqueam Capital Corporation was established to manage Musqueam business activities including development or redevelopment properties, new businesses and managing a number of successful developments. Developments include a mixed-use marina, an ongoing property development in the University Endowment Lands, as well as established housing developments and two golf courses.”

Similarly, the page mentions the business endeavours of the Squamish Nation:

“The Squamish Nation has become a business incubator, ramping up and entrepreneurial dynamism that has the potential to add to the economic landscape of this city, the region and the province. We want to make sure the next generation will benefit from jobs and economic activity in the Squamish Nation.”

The MST Development Corporation’s About Page at the time of writing states:

At the time of writing MST Development Corporation’s Projects page mentions:

At the time of writing, the Wallstreet Journal provides the following profile for the MST Development Corporation CEO:

At the time of writing, Negrin’s LinkedIn Page shows the following work experience:

Not surprisingly, Concord Pacific Developments Inc., appears on the backed-up copy of the UDI’s members directory, as does: Aquilini Development & Construction Inc., and Aquilini Development & Construction Inc. – Okanagan

Negrin at the time of writing, is also the Chairman of Isthmus Capital, which offers “Territory Recovery”, “Influence Recovery” and “Capacity Building” to First Nations; as well as “Building business opportunities with First Nations and bridging the gap to Capital Partners establishing new financial tools for reconciliation “

“Bridging the Gap” is a term the UDI Capital Region has used for its partnered events series with the UVic Real Estate club, the board of directors of which is at present comprised 6 out of 8, by UDI directors (4) current and (2) past.

ISTHMUS | MANAGEMENT | VANCOUVER | ESGI | Bridging the gap between First Nations and capital partners

According to the Isthmus Capital Team webpage, the Managing Director “previously worked on behalf of the Aquilini family, where he focused on development and origination of real estate assets and deal structuring for resort properties. Prior to this, he was part of the team that launched Great Circle & Great Circle Power, which ultimately originated, built and managed over $2.3 billion in energy assets with capital partners including OP Trust, DREAM Alternatives, Blackrock and Texas Pacific Group.”

Thus both the Chairman and Managing Director of Isthmus Capital have past ties to the vast empire of the Aquilini’s businesses.

Among the Aquilini’s business interests, is a proposed multi-billion dollar ski resort in Squamish, which had some troubles getting started, but in mid 2024, a headline read Court approves Garibaldi at Squamish sale to Aquilini companies – theBreaker

As a recent Jan 23, 2024 Bob Mackin Article for BIV stated:

“Until June 2022, Garibaldi Resort Management’s directors included David Negrin. In 2016, Negrin left the presidency of Aquilini Investment Group and Aquilini Development and Construction to become CEO of MST Development Corp., the real estate partnership of the Musqueam Indian Band, Squamish Nation and Tsleil-Waututh Nation.”

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Conclusion:

If former UDI President/Chair Negrin’s prophecy that First Nations will soon become the largest developers in the Province is true, and with the implementation of UNDRIP, that could be a very real possibility; will it translate to genuine reconcilation, or it will it mean mega-profits for UDI member companies, free to get away with, what they might not have gotten away with otherwise?

In this regard the UDI’s lobbying letters to Eby, in 2021, and 2022, may well serve as a cautionary tale, of too much influence from the developers on the Province of B.C., not that more evidence of that was actually needed at this point…

Appendix: The full July 8, 2021 letter from the UDI to David Eby

References:

Fact Checking the UDI Capital Region Executive Director’s Claim that Some First Nations Organizations are Among the UDI’s Members – CRD Watch Homepage

https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-negrin-55586920

David Negrin – KDSX.CA | Kadestone Capital Corp. – Wall Street Journal

MST Development Corporation – MST Development Corporation

OUR TEAM | ISTHMUS | VANCOUVER, BC | CANANDA | PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT — isthmus photo land (Copy)

Excerpt’s from Isthmus Capital website:

Nearly $100M owed to five creditors of delayed Squamish resort project – Business in Vancouver


Further Reading:

Freedom of Information reveals that the Province of B.C. was working to implement what the registered lobbying organization, the Urban Development Institute, had been pushing for. This culminated in the recent Housing Bills that override local government authority on zoning.  – CRD Watch Homepage

A brief look at UDI member TransLink and BC Bill 47 (2023) – Sasha Izard

LETTER: Development an example of the new colonization – Greater Victoria News

First Nations developers focus on long-term economic partnerships for future generations – Business in Vancouver

“During a Thursday luncheon at Pan Pacific Vancouver Hotel hosted by the Urban Development Institute, three First Nations leaders said they are taking great care to build long-term alignments on their path toward economic reconciliation and economic sovereignty.”