The St’sailes and Sq’ewlets First Nations came together to celebrate a monumental moment in Indigenous healthcare.
The First Nations communities celebrated the grand opening of Éyameth’ (pronounced ay-em-eth) Health Centre in Harrison Mills on Friday, Jan. 23. About 100 people, including residents and local and provincial dignitaries, were in attendance at the grand opening ceremonies on Friday morning.
Éyameth’ – which translates to “weaving health together” in Halq’eméylem – is a holistic health centre on the shared territory of the St’sailes and Sq’ewlets people, located at 46048 Lougheed Highway. Sts’ailes Grand Chief Shasta Willie Charlie (Cha’qua’wet), who led the grand opening ceremonies, said the fruits of the labour between the Éyameth’ Health Society and the Sts’ailes Nation were at least a decade in the making.
“All of that good work brings us to where we are today,” Charlie said. “It’s been many years, many hands, lots of hurdles and obstacles.”
Charlie said he could not have imagined local First Nations having sovereignty over their own healthcare would have come this far in his lifetime.
“We’ve come a long way. Never in my wildest dreams, 30 or 40 years ago, would I have thought that we could have some influence on the Fraser Health authority or the provincial government or the federal government,” the Grand Chief Shasta said. “They would just do things for us, about us, without us. We never thought we could be here.”
Sts’ailes Chief Chadley Paul (Ches kin xen Siyam) said the grand opening was a very exciting day.
“I can’t even truly express how I was feeling when I woke up this morning,” Paul said. “Just as soon as I woke up, I was vibrating, just the excitement in my heart.”
Éyameth’ Health Centre executive director Angela Paul the primary care clinic and centre of excellence will deliver “transformative health care services” to all of the North Fraser community.
“We are happy to celebrate decades of collective work in community and with health partners to bring the Éyameth’ Health Centre to life,” Paul said. “Weaving together the best of contemporary medicines with holistic health care, Éyameth’ will address gaps by providing innovative, quality, patient-centred health and wellness services to individuals and families in the region.”
Before Éyameth’ was built, the nearest medical centres to the St’sailes and Sq’ewlets communities was in either Chilliwack or Abbotsford –about 40 kilometres and 44 kilometres away, respectively.
Éyameth’ offers a broad range of medical care services, including primary care, maternal health, Elder care, mental health and addictions support, traditional healing, diabetes and chronic disease management. The clinic will serve all Indigenous and non-Indigenous people from Mission to Agassiz.
First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) CEO Monica McAlduff said in a statement that Éyameth’ is the first Indigenous-led primary care centre to open in the Fraser Salish region one of 15 centres being opened or underway across the province as part of the First Nations Primary Care Initiative (FNPCI). Under the FNPCI, there will ultimately be three primary care centres that will support Fraser Salish region communities.
“Our vision at the (First Nations Health Authority) is to support healthy, self-determining and vibrant First Nations children, families and communities in B.C.,” McAlduff said. “Developed through the guidance of First Nations communities and with the support of health-system partners and municipalities in B.C., these centres represent an important step forward on our shared journey towards a culturally safe and sustainable health-care system that meets the needs of First Nations in B.C.”
There are 32 First Nations communities in the First Nations Health Council’s Fraser Salish region.
Hiring for Éyameth’ began in 2023 with a temporary location set up at the Sts’ailes Administrative Building. The new clinic employs seven full-time equivalent (FTE) staff for primary and traditional care with the goal of more than 14 FTE health-care providers on the horizon.
Minister of Health Josie Osborne said the opening of the Éyameth’ Health Centre is an important step in First Nations-led primary care.
“By bringing primary care, social services and Indigenous ways of knowing under one roof, the centre will improve access to culturally safe, person-first care and support the health and wellness of people, families and Elders, close to home,” Osborne stated.
Éyameth’ is funded through the FNHA and Ministry of Health as part of the FNPCI. There have been a numebr of clinics opening since 2019 under the initiative, including the Lu’ma Medical Centre in Vancouver (October 2019) and the es zúmin’ Primary Care Centre in Mount Currie in Februrary 2025.
Éyameth’ Health Centre can be reached by phone at 604-796-3818, by email at info@eyameth.com or online at eyameth.com.