Funds announced to study economic opportunities

Staff Writer, Ashcroft Cache Creek Journal — 25 Aug 2008

The Venables Valley Producers Co-op and the Seton Lake Indian Band were recipients of federal grants that were announced in Ashcroft last week.

The Producers Co-op received $25,200 to conduct a feasibility study for a facility to compost pine-beetle killed trees, while the Seton Lake Indian Band received $99,000 to develop an economic plan and two feasibility studies to strengthen the local economy, thanks to an investment by the Government of Canada, through Western Economic Diversification Canada.

Economic development officer for the Seton Lake Indian Band, Cliff Casper (left) and Venables Valley Producers Co-op director Jim McComb (right) received the good news on funding from MP Chuck Strahl last week in Ashcroft

The funding was announced by the Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Member of Parliament for Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon, on behalf of the Honourable Rona Ambrose, President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Western Economic Diversification and Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources. Funding is provided under the Community Economic Diversification Initiative (CEDI), a component of the federal Mountain Pine Beetle Program.

“Developing a strong, diversified economic foundation is vital to the region in order to overcome the challenges posed by the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation,” said Minister Strahl. “This federal funding will enable the region to explore ways in which to strengthen the local economy.”

“With this funding, we will be able to explore various methods of composting,” said Jim McComb, Director, Venables Valley Producers Co-op.

The Venables Valley Producers Co-op will conduct a feasibility study examining the use of pine beetle wood-chips to create compost. The region is well suited to host such a study, and the results could create employment in new areas of agriculture. Additionally, the production of viable compost would assist local producers and growers of products to raise their crops in a more environmentally sustainable fashion.

The Seton Lake Indian Band will use its funding to create a project team and conduct a detailed study of current labour, capital resources and assets within the Seton Lake community. Once the plan is complete, feasibility studies for two business opportunities will be developed. Those studies will describe the business opportunity, which services and goods will be considered, identify markets for the goods and/or services, identify value-added products, and determine the supply chain infrastructure needed to support the new businesses.

“Today’s funding will allow us the opportunity to identify business opportunities and markets,” said Chief Larry Casper, Seton Lake Indian Band. “We look forward to creating new revenue streams and providing our people with the tools required for economic success.”

The Cook’s Ferry Indian Band in Spences Bridge also received $200,000 to build a First Nations interpretive centre and another $150,000 for a feasibility study to develop certified wood products and non-timber forest products - such as jams, soaps and teas - made with resources harvested from the forest.

In Lytton, the Fraser Thompson Indian Services Society received $79,920 to for a feasibility study into bioenergy production, and a marketing analysis on value-added wood products, that will identify products in demand both domestically and overseas and expected social and economic gains.

Category: Agriculture, Business, Government