May 2025 - Newsletter

In January, Northern Development received the final reporting form from Smith Timber Works in 150 Mile House, detailing the success of their Panel Manufacturing Improvements project through the Northern Industries Innovation Fund. The project resulted in Smith Timber Works adding an overhead crane to one of their indoor manufacturing facilities, and the significant building and electrical upgrades that were needed to make appropriate space for the crane’s installation.

As expected, the new equipment has greatly increased efficiency in wall and roof panel construction for the company, which strongly positions them as there is a notable interest in the construction of moderately-priced homes in short timeframes. Such is the case with the new contract between Smith Timber Works and a local First Nation to construct four new homes using premanufactured components and expedited onsite assembly.

The benefits of streamlined processes for panel construction includes direct and indirect benefits to the company and their customers. For Smith Timber Works, they expect to increase the number of employee positions by expanding their manufacturing services. The installation of the crane also makes for a better, more ergonomic work environment where people can work smarter versus harder – easing the physical toll on their body.

The crane also allows for more work to be completed on the panels in a controlled environment before they are moved to the building site. This includes insulation, air and vapor barriers, windows, and cladding. Having capacity to do more work at their base site increases efficiencies and safety as the shop is ideally set-up for the work. It also reduces inefficiencies associated with daily travel time, mobilization and demobilization, and the management of materials.

Northern Development committed $50,000 in rebate funding to Smith Timber Works to support this innovative development in one of their locations. The investment Smith Timber Works made in their business positions them strongly for future growth and contract opportunities, especially as the demand for housing on condensed timeframes continues to grow.

This spring, 12 recent post secondary graduates will be dispersing throughout the Trust’s service region through their recent appointments as government interns. Their placements kickstart one year of their new role with their host government, providing invaluable opportunities for real-world, on the job learning and quality mentorship. For the host governments, participating in Northern Development’s internship program provides increased capacity and first-hand awareness of the joys of living and working in Northern B.C.

Approved host governments are:

Local Government host	First Nation Government Host
District of Logan Lake	Gitga’at First Nation
City of Quesnel	Lake Babine Nation
City of Williams Lake	Sasuchan Development Corporation
Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine	Yekooche First Nation
Village of Fraser Lake
Village of Pouce Coupe
Village of Telkwa
Village of Valemount

This marks the first time that the District of Logan Lake, Gitga’at First Nation, and Yekooche First Nation are approved to host an intern through the internship program.

To date, Northern Development has supported 140 interns through various iterations of the internship program. Approximately 44 percent of intern alumni are currently working in local or First Nation government. To continuously respond to the changing needs of governments in the North, the Trust has adapted the internship suite of programs since launching it as an Economic Development Internship Program in 2009.

The longevity of the program means that intern alumni are frequently crossing professional paths with each other as they continue to use their skills and passion to serve the people and communities of Northern B.C. Read this story from 2021 to learn about a time when the District of Houston was employing two intern alumni and one active intern.

In Glen Vowell, near the shores of the Skeena River, an expanded hydroponic vegetable growing operation has been completed, nearly four months after being approved for a $130,632 Economic Infrastructure grant. The project went exactly as planned and resulted in a reliable doubled supply of fresh produce available to community members.

“We are very appreciative of the grant from Northern Development,” said Chief Tony Sampare. “This project is so important to the community and the demand for fresh produce on the Gitxsan Territories, and neighbouring territories is so high that we can’t keep up. Adding a second growing system is a welcome addition.”

In 2023, the Glen Vowell Band established their first hydroponic growing system under the brand Skeena Fresh. Cleverly, the first growing system is modular, and was designed to be readily added to. The hydroponic growing operation allows producers to have consistent yields in a carefully climate-controlled environment. The design is incredibly efficient and facilitates the production of high quality, nutritious food with minimal input: the system uses 90 percent less water than traditional farming methods and requires significantly less land.

The primary goal for the project was to bolster the community’s food security and food sovereignty by expanding their sustainable source of food production. The extended operations also resulted in two new employment opportunities in the community through the positions of Farm Operations Assistant. These half-time positions provide steady, reliable work as the indoor growing system is not subject to the same responsiveness to the seasons. These employees are certified through the food system supplier’s Commercial Hydroponic Farm Operator training program.

As a result of the expansion projects, the farm yield capacity has doubled from 672 mature plants per week to 1,344. This directly correlates to an expected doubling of customers from the community and surrounding area. This means approximately 1,200 people will be eating fresh, healthy, locally grown food throughout the year.

The Economic Infrastructure program supports projects of regional and local significant that contribute to stronger communities and economic growth. Non-profits, First Nations governments, wholly-owned First Nation Development Corporations, and non-profits are all eligible to apply.

In Charlie Lake, Recon Environmental is a fledgling environmental consulting service company for the oil and gas industry. Established in 2023, they provide high-quality environmental management solutions, focusing on reclamation and restoration. With their procedures and practices well-established, Recon Environmental realized the additional business that could be drummed up through an improved corporate resume and stronger online presence.

Their approach to this advancement opportunity was two-fold: first, they identified a professional consulting company to guide them through the creation of a business-to-business (B2B) marketing strategy, visual brand identity, professional website, search engine optimization, social media training, and branded corporate resume.

Second, Recon applied to Northern Development for a $4,129 Competitiveness Consulting Rebate. Their successful application allowed them to recoup 50 percent of the costs of their market development project, providing immediate and long-term benefits to the company. The seven-month project provided Recon with training and resources to better communicate their unique skillset and approach to more businesses, resulting in the realization of a niche market for its services.

“The marketing materials developed during this project have helped Recon to effectively communicate its unique identifiers,” said Lindsay Routledge, owner, upon the project’s completion. “This project has produced economic benefits for Recon by providing operational cost saving and is expected to have additional economic benefits related to the leads it has produced. Specifically, our professional digital presence has led to networking opportunities with new clients and professionals in other jurisdictions. These relationships are forecasted to generate additional revenue and employment.”

The operational cost savings come from the realized benefits of hiring efficient, experienced professionals to provide marketing services, instead of Recon trying to do the work themselves. The in-house marketing approach would have resulted in less efficient work as staff attempted to learn how to best market the company, and also detract from their area of expertise: environmental management solutions.

The Competitiveness Consulting Rebate supports small and medium sized businesses throughout the Trust’s service region. It is a funding program that continuously accepts applications from businesses in a wide range of industries, including accommodation, manufacturing, transportation, and industrial supply chain. Visit the program page to view all the eligible industries and eligibility criteria.