Sylvie Paillard
[email protected]
Members of the Squamish Nation waved, cheered and gave the thumbs up sign to the first truckload of logs coming out of Tree Farm Licence 38 under First Nations stewardship 38 Monday (May 1).
The truck passed through numerous Squamish Nation reserves Monday morning so that community members and elders could celebrate the inaugural load.
"The happiness is that we are visibly showing the rest of Squamish and British Columbia that we as aboriginal people can be contributors to the economy," said Chief Bill Williams. "We always have been, but we haven't been able to show in the way that we can through the TFL."
The Squamish Nation bought the 900,000 hectare tree farm licence from Interfor for $6.5 million in late December 2005 and local forestry consultants CRB Logging was hired to help manage the newly formed Northwest Squamish Logging, a company held in trust with the Squamish Nation.
The tenure has an annual cut (AAC) of 109,453 cubic meters per year, and Northwest Squamish Logging retained Elaho as the contractor so no one would lose a job.
"Northwest Squamish Logging company ensures that people can see that we are net contributors to the economy that we are contributing jobs not just for our community but every job that is out there right now are still part of the contract with Interfor," said Williams.
The deal also bodes well for the future of Squamish Nation members.
"It just creates such a positive image not only for our children," said Williams. "They now have job opportunities in all levels of management and it's something that is long term because we look at the forest as being there forever and we expect to do this forever also."
