The Capital Regional District (CRD) conducts its business within the Territories of many First Nations, including but not limited to BOḰEĆEN (Pauquachin) First Nation, MÁLEXEȽ (Malahat) Nation, paaʔčiidʔatx̣ (Pacheedaht) First Nation, Penelakut Tribe, SC’IȺNEW̱ (Beecher Bay) First Nation, Songhees Nation, SȾÁUTW̱ (Tsawout) First Nation, T’Sou-ke Nation, W̱JOȽEȽP (Tsartlip) First Nation, W̱SIKEM (Tseycum) First Nation, and xʷsepsəm (Esquimalt) Nation, all of whom have a long-standing relationship with the land and waters from time immemorial that continues to this day.
The First Nations Relations Division supports the CRD and its Board to build strong and enduring relationships with neighbouring First Nations governments.
The CRD approved its first Reconciliation Action Plan, establishing a 10-year framework to advance reconciliation through measurable actions across its operations, programs, and services.
Developed with input from First Nations, the plan supports the Board in operationalizing and building on CRD Board Priorities, strategic plans, and government-to-government Memoranda of Understanding and Protocol Agreements. Key actions focus on advancing Indigenous self-determination and relationship building, supporting shared prosperity through economic opportunities, respecting First Nations relationship to lands and waters, and fostering cultural safety through art, signage and education.
The CRD's Statement of Reconciliation was approved by the Board in 2018.
The CRD and paaʔčiidʔatx̣ (Pacheedaht) First Nation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2024, formalizing their government-to-government relationship.
The CRD, W̱JOȽEȽP (Tsartlip), and W̱SIḴEM (Tseycum) First Nations, through the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council (WLC), signed a MOU in March 2025.
The CRD and the xʷsepsəm (Kosapsum) Nation signed an MOU in March 2025.
The CRD and SȾÁUTW̱ (Tsawout) First Nation signed an MOU in May 2025.
The CRD and Songhees Nation signed a Government-to-Government Protocol Agreement in October 2025.
The CRD Board, made up of representatives from the region's 13 municipalities and 3 Electoral Areas, has acknowledged that the lack of First Nations representation on the Board is a significant gap in regional governance. In an effort to "make the region whole", the CRD Board approved a number of bylaw changes to provide for the inclusion of First Nations elected representatives on CRD standing committees.
The Province of British Columbia’s Action Plan, for implementing the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, includes Action 1.11, for the province to support inclusive regional governance by advancing First Nations participation in regional district boards. The province set up a study grant in 2023 for regional districts to engage with First Nations on the topic of inclusive governance. Eight First Nations in the capital region provided input regarding inclusive governance, which is summarized in this Inclusive Regional Governance Study Grant Final Report.
The CRD’s Government-to-Government Relationship Building Initiative was launched in 2023 to strengthen relationships with First Nations in the region, understand how each Nation would like to collaborate with the CRD, co-create mechanisms that support respectful engagement, and identify priority topics to inform the development of a CRD Reconciliation Action Plan. The Government-to-Government Relationship Building Initiative Summary Report [PDF/722KB] identifies the key themes heard in the feedback from First Nations and makes recommendations to inform the CRD’s next steps.
Building on prior recommendations, the CRD retained a consultant in 2022 to:
- learn how First Nations and Indigenous organizations in the capital region would like to be engaged on employment initiatives,
- assess CRD readiness to collaborate on employment partnerships and initiatives with Indigenous partners, and
- research and report on wise practices related to Indigenous employment and workplace cultural safety.
These three reports are the outcome of the project and contain recommendations for how the CRD can become a more desirable workplace for prospective Indigenous employees.
- Indigenous Employment Project Summary Report [PDF/7.7MB]
This report provides a high-level summary of findings and recommendations. - Indigenous Employment Project Findings and Recommendations [PDF/9.7MB]
This report contains the full findings, including wise practices for Indigenous employment in the context of the CRD. - Indigenous Employment Project Wise Practices Indigenous Employment and Culturally Safe and Supportive Workplaces [PDF/1.2MB]
This is a stand-alone report that has been made available as a resource for Indigenous communities and employers in the region.
The following report identifies areas of opportunity within the Capital Regional District's service structure to advance reconciliation through economic development.
The Special Task Force recommended an Annual Forum of All Councils to build relationships between First Nations and local governments. On June 11, 2016 at the First Peoples House at UVic, a Forum of Councils was held with a special focus on Indigenous cultural acumen training. Forums were also held in 2019 and 2023.
At the October 10, 2018 meeting [PDF/91KB], the CRD Board approved a set of recommendations from the Final Report of the Special Task Force on First Nations Relations.
The Final Report provides a summary of activities and some lessons learned over the course of the Task Force’s four year term and presents eight recommendations for the Board’s consideration. The recommendations capture the Task Force’s view of optimal next steps to guide the CRD’s path towards a more inclusive governance model for the region.
The Special Task Force was established in 2015 as a concrete step in demonstrating that government-to-government relationship-building is a priority focus of the Board. The final report was delivered in 2018 and an ongoing First Nations Relations Standing Committee was established in 2019.
The CRD provides a diverse range of over 200 services to member municipalities and First Nations governments. Types of service agreements the CRD has with First Nations range from water provision, wastewater treatment, fire protection, building inspection and animal control. The CRD seeks to ensure that any services contracted to First Nations are accountable, equitable and consistently delivered.
First Nations Census Info
Regional Census Info has been released by Statistics Canada. Find fact sheets summarizing this data under Census Profiles, CRD Regional Information.
