Gold River explores waterfront potential

The planning process kickstarted with ICET funding looks to an economically vibrant area on Muchalaht Bay

By Mike Youds Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor

Gold River, BC - Gold River, a small village municipality nestled in the mountains, has a separate waterfront 12 kilometres down Highway 28 at Muchalat Bay. The unusual degree of separation stems from another era and a resource development boom in B.C., when Tahsis Company built the town to house employees for its pulp mill located in the river delta at the head of Muchalat Arm. Gold River District was incorporated in 1965 — acquiring a reeve and village council before it had residents — with municipal boundaries including portions of the river delta. Gold River Village was incorporated seven years later, Canada’s fi rst all-electric community and the fi rst to have underground wiring. The community thrived until forest processing and fi shing steadily declined through the 1990s. When the mill closed in 1998, the town lost half its jobs and a $1.8-million chunk of its tax base. Two decades later, the landscape and times have changed dramatically. Since 2018, the village has been piecing together components of an economic development strategy to guide growth and development in the valley, rebranding and reinventing itself as a west coast tourism hub. Another puzzle piece fell into place earlier this month when the municipality confi rmed the start of a waterfront planning process with kickstart funding from Island Coastal Economic Trust. “Gold River is now considered a tourism gateway to Nootka Sound, and the waterfront represents incredible potential to current and future users,” said Mayor Brad Unger. “Our vision for the waterfront is a place that supports and promotes a rich diversity of local economic activity and improved access to the incredible Muchalat Inlet.” Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation (MMFN) has been integral to the planning process, having helped to shape the economic development strategy. Ahaminaquus, a former village site where Mowachaht/Muchalaht residents from Yuquot were persuaded to resettle in the 1960s, lies squarely in the middle of the river delta. In Ahaminaquus, residents

Photo submitted by MMFN The skipper and crew of the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation’s water taxi are pictured in 2019. lived in the shadow of the pulp mill until health concerns led the village to resettle at Tsaxana, closer to Gold River. MMFN operates a boat ramp in the river delta and plans to develop a campground and RV site at Ahaminiaquus with construction starting as early as this spring. In 2019, MMFN upgraded its water taxi service based at Muchalaht Marina, a tourist link to Yuquot where additional improvements are planned. Waterfront planning engagement is expected to involve a variety of stakeholders including MMFN, Grieg Seafood, West Coast Terminals, Air Nootka, Get West Adventures (MV Uchuck II) and Western Forest Products along with village residents and businesses. The waterfront is considered critically important to multiple sectors. “Any economic driver is important,” said Mike Roy, village administrator. “We don’t really have a strategy for the waterfront now,” he added. “We do have some businesses interested in seeing improvements.” “It’s our only access to the ocean,” said Rachel Stratton, a village councillor and member of Gold River’s economic development committee. Gold River, as with Bamfi eld and Anacla to the south, is more landlocked than other Island communities. Tourism development is an obvious choice for the picturesque valley, bounded by Nootka Sound and Strathcona Provincial Park. “I love the fact that we’re diversifying in small pieces,” Stratton said. “We’re not relying on any one big industry, which I think is a very good plan for a commu-

nity this size.” In 2020, Gold River was ranked No. 9 in the Top 10 B.C. municipalities for growth as a percentage of population. “The changes I’ve seen in the last few years,” Stratton said, noting the population rose by 50 in the 2021 census count. “There was a lot of rental housing here; now you’re lucky to fi nd a rental.” Last year, the municipality opened up 55 serviced lots on a two-hectare parcel southeast of the village in an eff ort to spur development of more housing. As a realtor in addition to her civic duties, Stratton usually has about 20 homes listed; now she’s down to fi ve. “It does feel busy,” she said. “We are getting more people coming in all the time.” The village recently acquired cellphone service, installed a centrally located information kiosk for visitors (another project supported by ICET Quick Start funding) and will soon have an EV charging station in operation. A Co-op store is expected to open this spring, six years after the last one closed, and a new RCMP detachment is going in as well. On the waterfront, change is coming through innovation. Grieg Seafood is developing land-based salmon farming at “Gold River is now con- its waterfront hatchery, an important emsidered a tourism gateway ployer in the community for 22 years. As well, Gold River Aquafarms, a Campbell to Nootka Sound, and the River company with U.S. investors, plans waterfront represents in- to develop a land-based steelhead farm on land formerly occupied by the mill, credible potential to cur- confi dent they can repurpose existing rent and future users.” buildings. Through the planning process, a preliminary analyses of stakeholder needs will ~ Brad Unger, inform an early redevelopment concept for the area. Roy said a consultant still Gold River Mayor has to be hired before the process can begin. He also stressed the need for wide consultation. “Our goal is to get it right and that’s why we want to engage with stakeholders,” he said. “It’s really just the early stages of starting this.” The idea behind ICET’s Quick Start program is to provide small communities with limited resources, including First Nations, the necessary means to advance from recently completed strategies to implementation.

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Pronounced ‘Oorh it ish alth tlu caa mirth tah ta pa, hoor it waasih alth huur tak wawaa it, chimwa’, it means, ‘The Women were held in high regard to the Chief, they would all voice their opinion’s of how a situation was handled, and sort it out to the best of the Chief ’. Supplied by ciisma.

Forestry partnership sees ‘climate-positive future’ through tree planting, other initiatives to off set harvesting

By Mike Youds Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor

Temperate forests in B.C., long a carbon sink and buff er against global warming, have become net carbon sources and now contribute to accelerated climate change in the 21st century. Through computer modelling, the province’s greenhouse gas inventory shows forests in the province have begun producing more carbon than they take in, an alarming reversal over the last 20 years caused in part by worsening wildfi res and mountain pine beetle devastation. According to National Resources Canada, “The outcome of all these interconnected events is likely to be further acceleration of the feedback loop: more emissions will lead to accelerated climate change, which in turn will enhance the conditions that create more carbon-releasing disturbances in Canada’s forests.” In the face of cascading environmental impacts, forest research has begun to focus on ways to respond through science and innovation. Last week, Huu-ay-aht First Nations (HFN) and Western Forest Products, together with mutually held Tsawak-qin Forestry, announced their Hišuk ma cawak Manufacturing Initiative (HMI). “Our approach is to put back in what we take out,” said Robert Dennis Sr., HFN chief councillor. The partners say HMI is a fi rst-of-a-kind collaboration between First Nations and industry, one working toward a “climatepositive future.” They see potential to tap into the carbon storage capacity of wood products with a goal to go beyond reducing emissions and remove more carbon from the atmosphere than emitted by 2030. “Over the past fi ve years, together with TFL 44, we have planted over fi ve million trees, which is more than the provincial standard requires,” Dennis said. “Now, we are taking that a step further and will reinvest in ways to lead the way to a climate-friendly future, guided by our sacred principles and the wisdom of our ancestors and the knowledge, innovation and support of our local communities and partners.” As B.C. embarks on a goal to slash greenhouse emissions over the next 10 years, HMI is seen as a model to others in the forest sector. The initiative grew out of a mutual interest in Tree Farm Licence 44 and aligns with an Indigenous-led integrated resource management plan for TFL 44 and Huu-ay-aht lands, a longrange plan designed to balance economic needs with sustainable ecosystems. The partners say they will work with all First Nations in the area to: • Identify opportunities for skills training and capital investment • Explore potential income streams through carbon credits and green energy programs. • Adopt innovative approaches to land management. • Extract more wood from areas harvested to reduce waste and slash burning. A 2019 study by the Pacifi c Institute for Climate Solutions concluded that building more with wood in combination with region-specifi c sustainable forest management practices could provide signifi cant emissions cuts for B.C. A best-case scenario suggests innovative measures could contribute 35 per cent of the province’s 2050 emissions reduction target. “This type of sector-wide initiative is the kind of approach that will produce long-lasting and measurable climate benefi ts,” said Elaine Oneil, director of science with the Oregon-based Consortium for Research and Renewable Industrial Materials. Research suggests sustainable forest management, effi cient recovery and utilization of logs and co-products, along with a manufacturing sector scaled to match the wood supply, could off er signifi cant climate mitigation benefi ts greater than can be realized in unmanaged forests alone, Oneal said. HFN and WFP commissioned a study for analysis specifi c to the region, looking at options to reinvest in manufacturing, aligned to the sustainable fi ber supply in the region, adding value to the predominant species of hemlock and Douglas fi r while increasing use of harvest and sawmilling residuals, all toward the goal of a more sustainable forest sector. Jason Fisher, a forestry expert, First Nations adviser and partner with accounting fi rm MNP, has been engaged to examine options that add value to the local economy, the goal being to align manufacturing with fi ber supply in the region. Fisher will work with TFL 44-area First Nations and other stakeholders on feasibility studies to attract long-term investment. “I think it’s thrilling because this is a chance to look at Forestry 2.0,” Fisher said. “We’re looking at creating Indigenous opportunities all along the forest chain,” he added. “To me, that’s the real heart of this.” Fisher said there is no better opportunity than the forest sector for creating a circular economy through end-of-life solutions for wood products. “We’re creating opportunities for today and tomorrow despite the fact we know the climate is changing,” Fisher said. “Hopefully it can become an example of what else is possible out there.” “Hišuk ma cawak” is another way of saying everything is connected in Nuuchah-nulth, and so it is in the increasingly urgent context of greenhouse gas emissions. In its latest report, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that climate breakdown is accelerating. Nations are failing to meet the reductions required to stop global temperature from reaching 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels, the ceiling for avoiding runaway climate catastrophe. As the fi rst province to set specifi c emission targets for economic sectors, B.C. plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 40 per cent of 2007 levels by 2030. Steven Guilbeault, minister of Environment and Climate Change, is expected to follow through with national sectoral targets by the end of March. While some observers have applauded B.C.’s plan, environmentalists point to glaring gaps, a lack of strategic initiatives and no sense of urgency despite a heightened frequency of climate-related crises still fresh in the memory of 2021. B.C. was one of the fi rst out of the gate when it brought in a carbon tax in 2008, but it has a dismal track record to show for all of that. Fifteen years ago, former Premier Gordon Campbell pledged to reduce greenhouse emissions by 33 percent by 2020. Instead, emissions increased. A collapse of the forest carbon sink cannot have helped matters. More signifi cantly, the province has not factored its continued liquifi ed natural gas development into emission targets, critics contend. In October, the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs called for an end to LNG and fracking on grounds that climate change disproportionately endangers Indigenous populations.

Photo by Mike Youds A logging truck hauls timber on Franklin River Road, south of Port Alberni, an area that is part of Tree Farm Licence 44.

Health Corner Obituaries March is Nutrition Month

It is our time to celebrate and honour the foods that nourish us with everyone in Canada. There are many ways to gather around food. Food is a way to connect with each other, to the land, and the sea. In First Nations communities, food is the center of celebrations and gatherings, and a part of culture. Culture is in caring for the land and sea, caring for the harvest, gathering, growing, cooking and mealtimes. For example, sharing food together is important for learning and a Nuu-chah-nulth teaching. Many elders have shared that they are healthier when they are eating traditional foods and produce from the garden. “They swallowed the knowledge that was being shared,” said elder Cliff Atleo. Growing foods, community gardens Many people enjoy gardening as way to connect with the land, relax, be outside, and be more active. Gardening is great learning too! Spring is a great time to start a garden. Now is a good time to plant peas and lettuce. Many people are starting to seed kale indoors and will seed tomatoes and cucumbers in a few weeks. West Coast Seeds has a great guide for when to seed diff erent veggies. If you are interested in learning more about gardening, below are some suggestions and resources: o Connect with your local community garden - many nations have a greenhouse and a garden program, fi nd out if you have one in your community and who to contact o Meet your neighbour who has a garden and ask questions, off er to help o Go online to Tofi no Community Garden Initiative Traditional foods harvesting

In Nuu-chah-nulth territory, the foods are waking up and renewing themselves. On the land, nettles, miners lettuce, and dandelions are up and ready to harvest. Early plums have started to leaf. Soon the maple fl owers will be out and ready to add to tea or to salad for a sweet fresh maple fl avour. On the ocean the herring spawn has started. Are you harvesting and eating the foods of spring, or thinking about those foods? Wishing for some of the spring foods? Celebrating traditional foods can connect us to others and to culture. People connected to their foods are healthier and often have better mental health too. Here are some activities that you might be interested in - or are already doing! Make a plan to harvest land or sea foods this spring. Take a friend or family with you, teach someone about the foods that you harvest If harvesting traditional foods is new to you, ask an elder or knowledge keeper about the foods. Learn from them! Post a picture of your harvest to Facebook, or follow someone who does. (I like following Jared Qwustenuxun Williams on Facebook, who often posts about traditional foods in Qwu’utsun territory). Online, there are great places to learn more about traditional foods. Some include: o https://www.fnha.ca/ WellnessSite/WellnessDocuments/Traditional_ Food_Facts_Sheets.pdf o Nuuchahnulth seasonal round http://nada. ca/?page_id=3518 o Traditional Nuu-chahnulth Food Harvesting and Preparation Gathering around food harvest, food preparation, cooking and eating foods are all great activities for family time and learning together. The food activities can help us in so many ways. Food activities can help us to be more active, learn from each other and spend time together. And have fun! NETTLES! I am really excited that nettles are up! Try a nettle smoothie (you can substitute spinach) for breakfast or a snack. Nettles contain Vitamin C, histamine, choline and acetylcholine, vitamins A and D, iron (nine times more than spinach), sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium (29 times more than spinach), magnesium, silica, trace minerals and protein (more than beans). No wonder they are called a super food! When and How to Harvest: Nettles will sting you! You should use gloves or scissors to harvest. Gather nettles to eat fresh when they are very young – usually about 4-8 inches tall. The whole above-ground part can be eaten, stems and all. There are many ways to prepare nettles for food including: boiling, canning, freezing, sauteing, steaming, drying. Nettle Medicine If someone is feeling worn down, nettles are a good remedy. They are tonic to the liver, blood, and kidneys. Nettles are a diuretic that balances blood pH and fi lters waste from the body. This can be useful for arthritis, gout, eczema and skin rashes. They can help build blood after menstruation, birth or other blood loss. Others use nettles to decrease allergies. Healthy Shamrock Shake Ingredients • 1/2 cup (60 ml) plain, unsweetened milk or almond milk

• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1/8 teaspoon mint extract (optional)

• sugar replacement = to 2 tsp sugar

• 1 pinch sea salt

• 1 cup spinach or nettles

• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves (optional)

• 1 large frozen ripe banana

Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients to a blender in the order listed and process until smooth and creamy.

2. Serve immediately.

If you have a question, want to connect to a resource, or would like to share your experience please contact me, Jen Cody at NTC. Jen.cody@nuuchahunulth.org. I am new in the territory and still learning. Let me know if I have missed something. I am eager to learn and to share our food experiences and knowledge!

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Port Alberni Friendship Centre Volunteers Needed

Need work experience? The Port Alberni Friendship Centre is looking for interested applicants for various positions. Call 250-723-8281