About the Community Centre
The leləm̓ Community Centre, located at 5490 Shortcut Road, is a 15,000 square foot, two-level community centre located in leləm̓ Village, within the University Endowment Lands. Designed and built by Musqueam Capital Corp (MCC) in partnership with Polygon Homes, the community centre was built with a focus on sustainability and accessibility, using LEED® Gold standards. The community centre incorporates Indigenous artwork throughout the façade and building interior, celebrating the rich culture of Musqueam and the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest.
Amenities of the community centre include meeting rooms, a fitness centre, a medium-sized gymnasium, and a large multi-purpose space with an attached food preparation space. Many aspects of the community centre have been designed to be versatile and barrier-free, for the safe enjoyment of all patrons of the building.
The community centre is well-supported by alternative means of transportation. It is a short walk from bus stops on University Boulevard, with peak hour service running at every 15 minutes or less. The community centre is located close to the trails of Pacific Spirit Park and leləm̓ Park, with connecting paths through leləm̓ Village for pedestrians and cyclists. EV chargers are available for up to two hours of vehicle charging.
Background
In 2008, as a part of the Reconciliation, Settlement and Benefits Agreement, the Province of British Columbia bequeathed Block F in the University Endowment Lands (UEL) to Musqueam Indian Band, represented by MCC, as an acknowledgement of their traditional territory and land rights. The land transferred to Musqueam is held in fee simple and is not held as reserve land, nor is the agreement a treaty, and thus is subject to the zoning bylaws of the UEL. In 2016, the area of Block F was rezoned from a Multi-Family Residential (MF-1) zoning into a Comprehensive District (CD) zoning by Ministerial Order No. 453. This has allowed Musqueam to develop leləm̓ Village into the mix of residential townhomes, towers and commercial units that we see today.
Acknowledging the need for greater community amenities within the UEL as a result of the developments in and around leləm̓ Village, the leləm̓ Community Centre was a key infrastructure promise during the rezoning process to a CD. Construction for the community centre started in 2021, and as of 2024, the building is now complete. MCC bore the capital costs of the project as part of the agreement held with the UEL. The UEL has leased the community centre from MCC for 99 years, and is responsible for the building’s long-term programming, operation, and maintenance. Acting in a consultation role, the Community Centre Advisory Board (CCAB), a non-profit society, will provide strategic advice to the UEL with regards to strategic plans, annual budgets, performance measurements of the execution of plans relative to the community centre’s budget, and will also provide recommendations for programs provided by the community centre.
Current Updates
With construction now complete, the community centre has hosted a number of functions, such as the January 2025 CAC meeting and the March 2025 Official Community Plan Workshop. This has given members of the public their first opportunity to visit the facilities.
The UEL is currently in the process of finding a suitable operator for the community centre for regular operations. The UEL is estimating an official opening date in the fall of 2025.
Once the community centre is operating, a portion of strata fees levied on residents of leləm̓ Village will be used to fund the programming at the community centre. In return, residents of leləm̓ Village will be able to enjoy the use of basic services of the community centre for no additional cost, including gymnasium drop-ins and use of the fitness centre. Residents who reside in the UEL will be given preferential rates for community centre membership.