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Canada invests $295K in New Brunswick Indigenous forestry projects

December 20, 2018 – The Canadian government is investing $295,000 in two Indigenous forest sector projects in New Brunswick. 

T.J. Harvey, member of parliament for Tobique–Mactaquac, made the announcement earlier this week on behalf of Amarjeet Sohi, minister of natural resources, saying the investments will create jobs and boost the local economy.

The first project is a multi-year investment of $255,000 to the Tobique First Nation that will establish a forest-based community business to create long-term employment opportunities and increase revenues in the community. Part of this funding has so far supported a detailed analysis of Tobique’s manufacturing options, which led to the purchase of a sawmill in Perth-Andover. The next phase of this funding will create standard operating procedures, training in grading and stamping lumber and management succession planning for the mill that will lead to more local jobs.

The second investment of $40,000 will help Mi’gmawe’I Tplu’taqnn Incorporated launch a sustainable forestry strategy for its nine member communities. The strategies will assess and identify manufacturing options and opportunities in the local forest sector.

Both projects are funded by Natural Resources Canada’s Indigenous Forestry Initiative, part of the Canada’s Softwood Lumber Action Plan, which offers opportunities to Indigenous communities that rely on forest sustainability by increasing Indigenous participation in forestry-related opportunities, businesses, careers and governance.

” These projects will directly benefit Indigenous communities by helping individuals acquire the skills and knowledge needed to participate more fully in the forest sector and contribute to the overall competitiveness of the economy,” says Sohi.