More than $2.3 million in funding is coming to Vancouver Island to help First Nations and forestry businesses.
Federal natural resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson announced the funding this week, saying it shows a commitment to defending and strengthening BC’s forestry sector.
In total the federal government is funding 67 projects with $20 million across BC.
North Island
- Project Name: Gwa’sala ‘Nakwaxda’xw Strategic Forestry Development Project
Recipient: Gwa’sala ‘Nakwaxda’xw Nations
Location: Port Hardy, British Columbia
NRCan Funding Amount: $100,000
Project Summary: This project will develop a detailed business plan to assess the purchase of a local forest products facility, incorporating third-party valuation and legal review of the facility while refining the implementation strategy, supporting potential training and requesting capital funding.
- Project Name: Digital Stewardship Implementation
Recipient: Gwa’sala-Nakwaxda’xw
Location: Port Hardy, British Columbia
NRCan Funding Amount: $50,000
Project Summary: The proponent will provide support to the GNN’s members and training in the use of digital tools so that they can map cultural values, apply the appropriate security provisions and include the features in their assessment of planned land base management activities on their traditional lands.
- Project Name: Nuchatlaht Hahouthle Forestry Plan
Recipient: Nuchatlaht First Nation
Location: Zeballos, British Columbia
NRCan Funding Amount: $50,000
Project Summary: This project will use Nuchatlaht First Nation’s management plan as a benchmark to respond to forestry consultations, increase awareness of proposed activities in their territory, influence forestry direction in B.C. and advance Indigenous forestry leadership.
Campbell River
- Project Name: Large Cultural Cedar Xwax’wana (Canoe) Carving and Forest Stewardship Revitalization project
Recipient: Nanwakolas Council Society
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia
NRCan Funding Amount: $300,000
Project Summary: This project will revive and revitalize the ancestral knowledge and skills required to carve a canoe (xwax’wana) on the land and will contribute to enhancing a multi-Nation intergenerational forest stewardship strategy. The Kwakwaka’wakw carvers involved will meld traditional and contemporary ways of doing to create a dugout canoe and a living totem pole in the forest to revive these land-based practices. This project will foster knowledge-sharing within the community and will inform a forest stewardship initiative supported by a government-to-government agreement.
- Project Name: Homalco Jeh Jeh Tenures Management Leadership and Development Project
Recipient: Homalco Jeh Jeh Tenure Management LP
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia
NRCan Funding Amount: $382,100
Project Summary: The project will build capacity within the company over two years through the Homalco Jeh Jeh Tenures Management Leadership and Development Project, aiming to achieve sustainable economies of scale by acquiring an 80,000 m³ forest licence in the Sunshine Coast Timber Supply Area.
Central Island / West Coast
- Project Name: The Use of Drones in Forestry
Recipient: Tseshaht First Nation
Location: Port Alberni, British Columbia
NRCan Funding Amount: $413,960
Project Summary: This project will build Tseshaht First Nation’s drone service capacity for forestry applications by procuring equipment, training personnel and expanding skills used in many forestry application and operations.
- Project Name: Toquaht Forest Products Eco-Industrial Park – Phase I: Facilities Update and Integration
Recipient: Toquaht Nation
Location: Ucluelet, British Columbia
NRCan Funding Amount: $410,000
Project Summary: This project will upgrade, relocate and integrate the Toquaht Developments’ forest products facility into a forest products eco-industrial park at the Toquaht Bay dry land sort, enabling the Toquaht Nation to maximize timber value, develop sustainable businesses, create jobs and improve the quality of life for its citizens.
Duncan / Cowichan Valley
- Project Name: Cowichan Tribes Waste Fibre Recovery Business Planning
Recipient: Khowutzun Forest Services Ltd.
Location: Duncan, British Columbia
NRCan Funding Amount: $25,000
- Project Summary: The objective is to support Khowutzun Forest Services Ltd. In pursuing its interest in starting a wood waste recovery business in the Cowichan traditional territory through undertaking business planning activities.
Project Name: Freegro Tree Shelters – KDC
Recipient: Khowutzun Development Corporation
Location: Duncan, British Columbia
NRCan Funding Amount: $250,000
- Project Summary: This project will support Khowutzun Development Corporation in diversifying its natural resource management portfolio through the acquisition of necessary machinery and hardware, providing worker training and undertaking administrative and marketing planning operations to produce Freego tree shelters, a product that provides browse protection to trees and has a proven market need. This project is featured on Natural Resources Canada’s YouTube channel
Project Name: KFT Expansion and Launch of New Drought Mitigation Product Line
Recipient: Khowutzun Development Corporation
Location: Duncan, British Columbia
NRCan Funding Amount: $347,570
Project Summary: Under this agreement, the proponent will build upon previous success by expanding the marketing plan, upgrading its manufacturing facility and training staff in new, COVID-19–compliant best practices related to its new product line.
