Nanaimo - Let's Talk Te’tuxwtun
More Than Housing
Te’tuxwtun (pronounced Tey-tux-tun) is a proposed large-scale development intended to respect the restoration of land and serve the needs of the community. This 5.8-acre site spans the Fifth Street Corridor (564 Fifth Street, 502 and 505 Howard Avenue) in the Harewood neighbourhood of Nanaimo.
The Te’tuxwtun development project is a unique collaboration between Snuneymuxw First Nation, BC Housing, the City of Nanaimo and Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools (known as the Knowledge Partners). Te’tuxwtun, which means “grandmother of all surrounding mountains,” is the traditional name for Mount Benson, which overlooks the community and holds an important place in Snuneymuxw culture.
Building on the diversity and values of the Knowledge Partners, Te’tuxwtun will create much-needed affordable housing, recreation facilities and accessible services while respecting the land and realizing its full potential.
Community Engagement
Phase 1: Connecting and Understanding
From January 4 to February 3, 2022, the Knowledge Partners connected directly with over 350 community members including tenants of existing affordable housing and Harewood neighbours. Through this process, the Knowledge Partners learned from the Snuneymuxw First Nation to know and respect the land and discovered what is important to the community.
Community priorities we learned about during Phase 1 include:
- Gathering together on the land to learn and foster healing
- Creating safe living environments for all now and in the future
- Healing and stewarding the land and recognizing interconnectivity
- Learning as a way of being
- Working collaboratively to bring this vision to life
Read more about the Phase 1 engagement in our Te’tuxwtun What We Heard Report (pdf).
Phase 2: The Te’tuxwtun Vision
In Spring 2023, we shared with the community The Te’tuxwtun Vision (pdf), a draft development concept plan inspired by the community’s shared wisdom. Concepts in the draft design include:
- Publicly accessible open space: a central outdoor courtyard for planned and unplanned activities
- Community Gathering Space: a community-use space with a range of amenities. Ideas include a Great Hall for cultural events and gatherings that could open onto a large, outdoor plaza
- Childcare: a childcare facility in the community space
- Rental housing: 34 non-market rental homes to replace the Sanala homes, plus 356 new rental homes across three sites including both affordable and market rental. Additionally, 432 new underground parking stalls to serve new residents and visitors
- Alternative-learning school: the first of its kind in Nanaimo, operated by the Nanaimo Ladysmith School District
- Traffic calming: potential upgrades to Howard Avenue that propose traffic-slowing measures, more street parking and the option to be closed off for major community events
- Stormwater management: sustainable features which could include roof water collection, constructed wetlands/ponds, streetside greenery, and on-site detention/storage tanks
The Te’tuxwtun Vision is not the final redevelopment plan. More changes could come as we continue working with the City and the community during Phase 3.
Phase 3: Parkland Dedication Removal / City Plan Amendment / Rezoning
The Te’tuxwtun Vision provides us with an important starting point as we move through the City of Nanaimo’s approval process. This process includes parkland dedication removal and an application to amend the Official Community Plan (City Plan) and rezone the subject properties to allow for the development.
The Nanaimo City Council passed first and second readings of the Official Community Plan amendment and re-zoning applications related to the Te’tuxwtun project on August 28, 2023.
The Alternative Approval Process to gain permission from residents to remove park dedication from 502 Howard Avenue began on September 6, 2023. For more information, please visit the City of Nanaimo’s website.
We welcome your thoughts about The Te’tuxwtun Vision (pdf) as well as any questions about this ongoing project. Reach out any time by emailing communityrelations@bchousing.org.
Your feedback and comments are important to us.
We welcome questions and comments below in the Q&A.
