TFN charts a bold path forward with updated Land Use Plan
When the Tsawwassen First Nation (TFN) adopted British Columbia’s first urban modern treaty in 2009, it began a remarkable revitalization.
Seventeen years later, that foundational vision is evolving.
With its member vote approving the 2025 Land Use Plan Update, Tsawwassen is aiming to balance explosive growth with a deep commitment to cultural roots, ecological stewardship, and community wellness.
The numbers tell a story of steady transformation.
In 2009, about 660 people lived on Tsawwassen Lands.
By late 2025, that population climbed to roughly 5,400 residents, including 4,900 leasehold residents and 500 members living in the Village.
Projections estimate the population will reach 10,000 by 2040 and 12,000 by 2050.
Economic development has mirrored this population boom.
In 2025, more than 250 licensed businesses operated across industrial and commercial sectors on Tsawwassen Lands.
Together with government employment, these enterprises support about 4,000 on-land jobs and act as a significant economic engine for the region.
While the 2009 plan focused primarily on unlocking economic opportunities and building essential infrastructure like the $27 million sewage treatment plant and Tsawwassen Mills, the 2025 update takes a more well-rounded approach.
“Now we are prepared to carry it forward more holistically in 2025, rooted in Tsawwassen culture,” said Chief Laura Cassidy.
The updated plan is grounded in three core principles: syə́θəs (culture), šxʷkʷecxənəm (care), and məsteyəxʷ (community), and guided by the spirit of nəc̓aʔmát – working in unity.
As stated in the plan, this project’s community engagement process ran from September 2023 to June 2025 and included 24 sessions and over 350 member participations.
It divides Tsawwassen Lands into several key zones and designations to manage this future growth carefully:
The Community Area: Spanning about 177 hectares, this includes the Village, Tidal Marsh, and Bluff. It serves as the heart of the community, where plans include a new Cultural Centre, a Village Centre, a civic plaza near the legislature, a new cemetery, and an assisted living facility for elders. Ecological management zones will protect sensitive marsh and bluff habitats, archaeological sites, and the Pacific Great Blue Heron rookery.
“The objective of the Community Area is to maintain community character and continue building the community near the water for Members to live, work and play. Protect cultural roots, ecological environment, and traditional activities such as hunting and medicinal plants.”
Neighbourhood and Mixed-Use Areas: Covering about 134 hectares for leasehold residential and commercial enterprises, alongside 69 hectares at Tsawwassen Mills and Tsawwassen Commons, ensuring walkable, transit-friendly spaces that meet regional needs. It will help build out remaining vacant spaces, create long-term housing and market needs, and root new developments in Tsawwassen culture.
Industrial and Employment Lands: Encompassing roughly 135 hectares, these lands are designated as a long-term logistics and distribution hub, which aspires to create a national gateway that balances wealth generation with strict environmental standards.
Agricultural Areas: Increased to approximately 217 hectares with the inclusion of Brunswick Point lands, dedicated to food security, farming, and land-based economic activity.
Parks, Open Spaces & Blueways: Building on parks added since 2009, the updated plan focuses on creating safe, welcoming spaces for recreation, cultural expression, and community events. It advances the Great Blue Heron Way trail network, integrates gathering spots into neighbourhoods, and protects biodiversity. Alongside conserving the Tidal Marsh and Bluff, the plan prioritizes restoring blueway systems, shorelines, and waterways to support ecological health and cultural revitalization for future generations.
Transportation & Infrastructure: The plan prioritizes active transportation, integrated regional transit, and safe road networks through partnerships with provincial agencies. To support ongoing growth, new developments must dedicate land for trails and road rights-of-way while funding essential municipal infrastructure like water, sewage, drainage, and lighting. These systems will be managed for climate resilience and paired with third-party utilities to ensure modern standards across the community.
Action and Study Areas: The digital plan uses specific markers, such as eagle feathers for bold, near-term action Areas (like the Village Centre and beachfront planning) and heron feathers for long-term study areas (like the Port Adjacent Use Area and 13-acre parcel), to ensure growth happens thoughtfully as more information becomes available.
Implementation will roll out through updated zoning rules and other relevant regulations to align with the new Land Use Plan.
“By planning how we use and protect our lands, we are creating space for cultural revitalization, community wellness, and the healing of our People. We are honouring our ancestors by continuing the work they began, and we are preparing a strong foundation for our generations to come,” said Cassidy.
Copyright 2026, Delta Optimist. All rights reserved.
Radha Agarwal, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Delta Optimist.
Old Age Security payments for October are bigger and eligible Canadians will get money soon
This federal benefit now offers close to $840.
October payments of Old Age Security (OAS) will be deposited into bank accounts and delivered to mailboxes soon.
The benefit amounts for this federal pension have increased, so eligible Canadians can now receive more money.
OAS is a monthly government payment administered by Service Canada. If you're expecting your first payment or waiting for another installment, you'll get money as a direct deposit or cheque near the end of the month.
So, here's what you need to know about OAS, including the October payment date, increased payment amounts, and more.
What is Old Age Security?
OAS is a pension for eligible people who are 65 years of age or older.
It can also include additional amounts from the Guaranteed Income Supplement, Allowance, and Allowance for the Survivor benefits.
Who is eligible for Old Age Security?
You must be 65 years of age or older to be eligible to receive the OAS pension.
If you live in Canada, you must:
- be a Canadian citizen or a legal resident at the time your OAS pension application is approved
- have resided in Canada for at least 10 years since the age of 18
If you live outside Canada, you must:
- have been a Canadian citizen or a legal resident of Canada on the day before you left Canada
- have resided in Canada for at least 20 years since the age of 18
You can receive OAS even if you've never worked or you're still working because your employment status doesn't affect your eligibility.
If Service Canada has your information, you'll get an enrollment letter close to your 64th birthday. That means you're automatically enrolled and don't need to apply for the pension.
If it's been one month since your 64th birthday and you haven't received an enrollment letter, you may need to apply for OAS.
How much money can you get from Old Age Security payments?
The amount of money you get from OAS depends on the age you started receiving the pension, whether you're 75 or older and eligible for an increased pension amount, your net income, and how many years you've lived in Canada.
Recently, the federal government implemented a payment adjustment to reflect cost-of-living increases measured by the Consumer Price Index.
OAS benefits are now 1.4% higher for payments in October, November and December.
The maximum payment is $762.50 if you're between 65 and 74 years old, and $838.75 if you're 75 or older. That's an increase of $10.53 and $11.58 per month, respectively.
When is the next Old Age Security payment date?
The next OAS payment date is Wednesday, October 28, 2026.
How do you receive Old Age Security payments?
You can receive your OAS payment from Service Canada by direct deposit or by cheque.
If you have direct deposit set up with Service Canada, a payment will be automatically put into your bank account every month you're eligible for the pension.
If you don't have direct deposit as your payment method, a cheque will be issued during the last three business days of each month you're eligible for OAS payments. It could take longer for you to receive the money that way because cheques are mailed.
Service Canada said you can sign up for direct deposit at any time and get money directly into your bank account in Canada, the U.S. or other participating countries.
If you were recently enrolled in this program, you'll receive your first OAS payment the month after you turn 65 or on the specific date you chose.
News publishers launch copyright suit against AI company Anthropic in Ontario
A coalition of news publishers that includes Canada’s largest newspapers is suing the AI company Anthropic in an Ontario court.
Postmedia, Torstar, The Globe and Mail and The Canadian Press say Anthropic infringed on their copyright by using their content to develop its large language AI model Claude.
"Anthropic has capitalized on the commercial success of its AI models, building an expansive suite of services, and raised significant capital — all without obtaining a valid licence from any of the News Media Companies," says the statement of claim.
"In doing so, Anthropic has been substantially and unjustly enriched to the detriment of the News Media Companies."
The lawsuit, filed on Oct. 6, was first reported by the news site Cartt.ca. Anthropic has not responded to a request for comment. The allegations have not been proven in court.
The statement of claim says Anthropic breached the news media websites’ terms of service and circumvented technological protection measures they put in place to restrict copying of their content.
The claim says the news outlets "are responsible for generating a significant portion of Canada’s journalistic content — from daily print broadsheets to round-the-clock digital news coverage," and collectively have millions of readers.
"To obtain content for ingestion into its models and services, Anthropic deliberately 'scrapes' (i.e. accesses and copies) enormous amounts of text data from the internet and from the Plaintiffs’ Websites," the claim says.
The news outlets say Anthropic then uses that content, without authorization or consent, to develop its AI models. It says Anthropic also scrapes content on an ongoing basis in response to user prompts.
"Notwithstanding concerns raised by several content creators across various industries, including through numerous other lawsuits and public criticism, Anthropic has done nothing to curtail its unlawful behaviour," the statement of claim says.
The same companies also launched, alongside CBC/Radio-Canada, a lawsuit against OpenAI in 2024. That case has yet to be settled.
News publishers have been pushing the federal government to take a stand on how AI systems use copyrighted content after the government’s national AI strategy failed to address the issue.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2026.
By Anja Karadeglija | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Expedia dévoile les meilleurs « hacks » pour économiser sur les vols et c'est étonnant
Il y a des journées que ça coûte moins cher que d'autres. 👀
Tu veux prendre des vacances bientôt et profiter de tes jours de congé en te faisant griller la couenne au soleil? Tu frétilles à l'idée de faire ta valise et d'envoyer des cartes postales à tes proches (et de les rendre un peu jaloux.euses, avouons-le)? Si tu fais partie de ces baroudeur.euses qui rêvent d'aventures et de paysages incroyables, sache qu'il existe différentes astuces pour économiser quelques dollars sur des vols.
L'agence de voyages Expedia, a récemment publié sa liste des meilleurs trucs pour obtenir les prix les plus bas des compagnies aériennes et ça vaut assurément la peine d'y jeter un coup d'oeil si tu penses t'envoler vers de nouvelles destinations dans les prochains mois.
En se basant sur ses propres données ainsi que sur les analyses de Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC), la compagnie américaine a réussi à déterminer le meilleur jour et la bonne heure pour acheter tes billets au prix le plus bas. Sors ton calepin et prends des notes, car tous ses hacks te seront bien utiles avant de réserver ton vol.
Quel est le jour le moins cher pour faire ta réservation?
Selon les données récoltées, se sont les réservations faites le dimanche qui sont les plus avantageuses. L'entreprise a remarqué que les voyageur.euses qui achètent leur vol lors de cette journée, comparativement au vendredi par exemple, peuvent économiser en moyenne 15 % de rabais sur les vols intérieurs et 10 % sur les vols internationaux.
Combien de temps en avance dois-je réserver mon vol intérieur?
Expedia recommande de booker ton vol intérieur un peu plus de deux mois à l'avance (environ 71 jours), afin de profiter des plus bas prix. Tu pourrais ainsi économiser jusqu'à 40 % sur ta facture comparativement à ceux et celles qui achèteraient leur vol un mois avant ton départ.
Il est aussi conseillé de ne pas réserver ton siège trop tôt, soit plus de 100 jours à l'avance, car habituellement les prix des vols seront plus dispendieux de quatre à cinq mois avant le départ.
Combien de temps en avance dois-je réserver mon vol international?
Pas trop tôt et pas trop tard, selon la compagnie touristique. Les vacancier.ères devraient privilégier une réservation faite trois mois avant le voyage outre-mer, car iels pourraient économiser près de 10 % du prix .
« Les offres de dernières minutes sont de plus en plus rares », mentionne Expedia. Si tu veux prendre cette chance, c'est donc à tes risques et périls.
Comment éviter les retards et annulations de vol?
Il semble que les départs avant 15 h soient les plus sûrs selon l'entreprise américaine : « Les voyageurs qui veulent avoir le plus de chances de voyager sans encombre doivent opter pour des vols matinaux ». Ceux et celles qui décident de partir en soirée (après 15 h) auraient 15 % plus de chances de voir leur vol être annulé ou retardé.
Est-ce mieux de partir hors saison?
D'après les données recensées, partir hors saison peut non seulement te faire économiser, mais aussi réduire les possibilités d'avoir une annulation ou un retard de vol. Les meilleurs mois pour voyager seraient de février à mai.
Quand partir?
C'est le vendredi qui serait le meilleur jour pour décoller vers d'autres destinations au Canada, puisqu’un départ le cinquième jour de la semaine te permettrait d'obtenir un rabais pouvant aller jusqu'à 20 % comparativement au dimanche ou au lundi.
Pour les vols internationaux, c'est plutôt le jeudi qui serait le plus avantageux, mais la différence n'est pas aussi grande puisque les usager.ères pourraient économiser seulement 5 % en choisissant cette journée.
En somme, les vols au début de la semaine sont habituellement un peu plus dispendieux.