Corporation fills needs of northern B.C.

CANDO Supplement

Page S7

The Gitksan and Wet'suwet'en Economic Development Corporation were the smallest organization to receive a CANDO economic development recognition award at the national conference. It was precisely this reason that Angie Stewart, president of CANDO, nominated them for the award.

"The Gitksan and Wet'suwet'en Economic Development Corporation is a company that is, at the grassroots level, practicing all aspects of community economic development," said Stewart. "Mainly they're addressing unemployment and their programs reflect their concerns of social well-being.

"Their decision-making is strongly reflective of the way they culturally make decisions and their programs are all the result of careful planning of each of the needs of each of the nine communities," she added.

This development corporation, which was just incorporated in 1991, serves six Gitksan and three Wet'suwet'en communities in northern British Columbia. The combined nine communities have about 8,000 members in an area of about 57,000 sq. km.

Darlene Morgan is the current director of the corporation. A board of directors is made up of nine members, all of whom hold the economic development portfolios within their own band councils. Anne Howard and Darlene Morrison are the other two employees of the corporation.

"On behalf of the nations of the Gitksan and Wet'suwet'en, we appreciate the award that CANDO has given us," said Howard, in a later interview. "It gives you a very good feeling inside to see what progress our people have made compared to the barriers they have had to endure."

She then said that a national conference like CANDO's inspires her because she's able to network with other Aboriginal economic development officers and that receiving an award drives her to accomplish better things for her community.

The Gitksan and Wet'suwet'en Economic Development Corporation's mission statement declares: All the Gitksan and Wet'suwet'en people have the opportunity to achieve economic independence and self-reliance by means of life-long education and skills training, and by capitalizing on economic development opportunities that preserve and enhance the Gitksan and Wet'suwet'en economy.

The mandate of the corporation is to encourage increased participation by Gitksan and Wet'suwet'en communities and individuals in the development of a sustainable economy; to assist in the initiation, expansion, improvement and promotion of viable business opportunities that provide employment, training, business experiences and general income for Gitksan and Wet'suwet'en people; to facilitate, sponsor and or contract training to improve managerial, entrepreneurial and economic self-reliance skills; to liaise and provide marketing and research information; to administer the corporation's funds identified under Indian and Northern Affairs funding; and to pursue federal, provincial and other sources of funding to enable the corporation to carry out its mandate.

The corporation currently administers four programs: the Loan Guarantee Program; the Community Venture Program; the Microbusiness Grant Program; and, a program for workshops and trade shows.

The loan guarantee program is designed to provide easier access to bank or credit union loans for individuals and communities.

"It's the only way a charter bank will want to work with someone in this area," said Howard. "It's a pretty good opportunity for our people to access funding to start business ventures."

The community venture program is a grant giving program for bands, or band-owned corporations and organizations that will increase employment and help keep locally generated money within the community. The Kispiox band council opened a gas bar, that now employs 10 people, under this program.

The microbusiness grants were created for individuals in the communities to start up home-based businesses. These grants are usually no more than $2,000 said Howard and have been given out to people starting up hair salon, a clothing retail outlet, a bookkeeping business, a portable sawmill, a repair shop, convenience stores, a trapping business, a karaoke service and craft shops.

"We found out that they really didn't need too much to start up a home-based business," said Howard. "It's the community members telling us what they like and what they're business ideas are."

The workshops provide training for the entrepreneurs and the trade shows allow them to show off their businesses.

Stewart was impressed with how the corporation was able to meet the needs of the Gitksan and Wet'suwet'en communities with a much smaller budget than the other economic development corporations that received recognition awards.

"The Gitksan and Wet'suwet'en Economic Development Corporation does have less of a budget but they're doing really exemplary things with the resources they do have," said Stewart. "They're doing with what they can whereby profit is not the main concern - the main concern is employment and social well-being."