An Indigenous-led forestry company out of Fort St. James has received $90,000 from the provincial government.
Deadwood Innovations, which is a joint venture between the Nak’azdli Whut’en First Nation will use the funding to upgrade its pilot-scale manufacturing plant in the community to help enable commercial production.
“The Indigenous Forest Bioeconomy Program and its new accelerator stream have positioned our startup to perform commercialization due diligence and engineering with experienced industry professionals. Our technology solves real problems and with support from the Indigenous Forest Bioeconomy program, our mission to transform low-quality fibre into high-value products is relentlessly progressing,” – Owen Miller, president, of Deadwood Innovations Ltd.
The new facility is expected to create jobs and reduce the need for slash pile burning, reducing carbon emissions.
The province has allocated nearly four million dollars over the next three years to its Clean BC initiative that will help expand Indigenous Forest Bioeconomy Program.
Since 2019, the Indigenous Forest Bioeconomy Program has delivered 41 projects with 24 Indigenous communities across BC.
“Our partnership with Deadwood Innovations is one example of our Nation’s increasing participation in forestry on our traditional territories. Now with the expansion of the Indigenous Forest Bioeconomy Program, which includes a new accelerator funding stream, we are able to scale up to the commercialization stage of this technology more quicker. This is creating more economic opportunities in our community and finding new uses for waste while protecting our forests and wildlife for generations to come.” – Chief Aileen Prince, Nak’azdli Whut’en First Nation.