Ts’elxwéyeqw Tribe Communities to acquire Elements Casino Chilliwack
On November 7, 2025, a consortium group of communities from the Ts’elxwéyeqw Tribe (the Ts’elxwéyeqw Group) and Great Canadian Entertainment announced that they entered into a definitive agreement for the purchase by the Ts’elxwéyeqw Group of Elements Casino Chilliwack, one of the premier gaming and entertainment destinations in the Fraser Valley region of British Columbia. The transaction represents a transformational economic milestone for the communities within the Ts’elxwéyeqw Group. The closing of the transaction remains subject to regulatory approvals and other closing conditions.
Elements Casino Chilliwack, based in Chilliwack, British Columbia, serves guests across the Fraser Valley and is Chilliwack’s top destination for gaming and entertainment, featuring slots, live and electronic table games, bingo, dining, live entertainment and more.
The Ts’elxwéyeqw are one of the tribes of the Stó:lō – People of the River – and are part of the broader Coast Salish collective. The Ts’elxwéyeqw are the First People of the Chilliwack River watershed in the Central Fraser Valley of southwestern British Columbia. The Halq’eméylem tribal name “Ts’elxwéyeqw” forms the etymology of the English word “Chilliwack”. The modern-day bands that constitute the Ts’elxwéyeqw Tribe include: Ăthelets (Aitchelitz), Sq’ewqéyl (Skowkale), Shxwhá:y, Th’ewá:li (Soowahlie), Sxwoyehálá (Squiala), Ch’íyáqtel (Tzeachten) and Yeqwyeqwí:ws (Yakweakwioose). Ts’elxwéyeqw Tribe has previously received the Joint Venture Business of the Year Award from the BC Aboriginal Business Achievement Foundation as well as the Aboriginal Business of the Year Award from the Chilliwack Chamber of Commerce.
Ts’elxwéyeqw Tribe Management Limited (TTML), based in Chilliwack, British Columbia, manages the Tribe’s partnerships, oversees an extensive number of cultural, economic, and business initiatives, and operates in a manner that respects the values, traditions, and objectives of the Tribe. TTML is a member of the S’ólh Téméxw Stewardship Alliance (STSA), an alliance of Stó:lō First Nations, and the Collaborative Stewardship Forum (CSF).
Founded in 1982, Great Canadian Entertainment is one of Canada’s premier gaming and hospitality companies with gaming, entertainment, hospitality and resort facilities in Ontario, British Columbia, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
McCarthy Tétrault LLP is advising the Ts’elxwéyeqw Group with a team led by Pavan Jawanda that includes Thomas Fung, Jordan Chu, Declan Sakuls, Benjamin Rivard (M&A), Mike Dolson, Camille Belanger (Tax), Craig Shirreff, Nick Kasting, Vaibhav Aggarwal (Real Estate), Christopher McHardy, Jessica Hoskins (Labour & Employment), Julia Miller (Pensions), Selina Lee-Anderson (Environmental), Liezl Behm, Kean Silverthorn, Joshua Friedman, Lucas Beatch (Financing), Vincent Yip (IP), Marissa Caldwell (Data and Privacy), as well as paralegals Bonnie Campbell and Isabel Gonzales.
