Community benefits from forest sector

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Maintaining the delicate balance between conserving the environment and conducting business is something that the Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) takes very seriously. That is why the tribal council has developed an approach to forest management that incorporates the wisdom of Elders and input from the members of the nine communities the tribal council represents.

The tribal council has completed a 20-year forest management plan and, according to Vern Bachiu, director of planning and development for MLTC, the council was the first company in Canada to do an environmental impact assessment of their management plan.

"In doing that, we did a lot of interviews with Elders in terms of determining what sacred sites there were to determine what sort of buffer zones around water bodies people wanted. They would have input into things like where roads are built and that's really a critical issue because if you build roads, it means other people are going to use them as well, not just the industry. So if people are out there, they're utilizing the resources. So you are setting the pattern by making those kinds of decisions, so we make sure that the communities have input," said Bachiu.

At a time when Aboriginal communities continue to face challenges in sustaining a forestry sector, the MLTC has established a number of management strategies and partnerships to ensure the viability of the sector. The tribal council is involved in three major economic ventures that include ownership of NorSask Forest Products Ltd., Mystik Management and Meadow Lake OSB (Oriented Strand Board). MLTC owns 100 per cent of NorSask Forest Products Ltd., a 110 million board foot stud mill that employs 125 Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal workers. MLTC owns 50 per cent of Mystik Management, which delivers fibre to NorSask. Mystik provides work for a number of contractors, of which 70 per cent are Aboriginal. The tribal council also has an interest in Meadow Lake OSB, and has the option of increasing their ownership of the mill up to 10 per cent.

"As owners, the nine communities have been developing equity and they've received profits from the saw mill that have gone back into community projects," said Bachiu. Some of the community projects funded by those profits have included housing programs and projects to support youth involvement in sport.

The tribal council's forestry interests have also benefited the communities economically by creating employment and business development opportunities.

"In Mystik, you have a lot of independent contractors who have earned a livelihood," said Bachiu. "You can see by the numbers of employment, I mean this is a significant contributor to the economy of northwest Saskatchewan."

As the forestry industry tries to stay afloat in the midst of the ongoing softwood lumber dispute with the United States, Bachiu said that MLTC's main focus right now is on protecting their interests rather than expanding their operations. And although the forestry sector is facing some hardships, Bachiu remains optimistic about the potential for business ventures in the forest sector for Aboriginal communities.

"All I can say is business success is very difficult. It takes into account a lot of different factors. Aboriginal communities tend to live in resource-rich areas of which forestry is one of the primary resources. So certainly they've got an opportunity and often have a lack of industrial business experience and the kind of deep pockets that it takes to be successful. So if they use their resources and team up with proven operators, I think it's the way to increase the possibilities or opportunities for success," he said.

"Right now, the forestry industry is depressed. So it's going to be challenging in the short to medium term. But over the long term, I think that there certainly is opportunities for economic development for Aboriginal communities...there will be success stories but it's just a reallytough time right now."