Richmond-based Western Forest Products Inc. has sold one of its tree farm licences on Haida Gwaii to Haida business group Haida Enterprises Corp. for $12.2 million.
The sale includes 130,000 hectares of timber and associated infrastructure in TFL 60. The tree farm licence is the largest forest tenure on Haida Gwaii and ranges over three islands – Graham, Moresby and Louise.
Taan Forest Limited Partnership, which is owned by Haida Enterprises (HaiCo), also holds forest tenures in the Haida Gwaii timber supply area. The two tenures have a combined annual allowable harvest of more than 440,000 cubic metres.
"This acquisition gives our company control of a significant Haida Gwaii tenure with some of Canada's finest forest lands," HaiCo CEO Kevin Ainsworth said in a press release.
"We intend to create new employment opportunities and wealth for our Haida shareholders while operating to high environmental standards. Only recently we helped build a new cedar utility pole peeling operation adjacent to our dry land log sort in co-operation with the Skidegate band council.
"We now have a log supply agreement with a local sawmill that is a joint venture with the Old Masset village council. These new projects will lead to more on-island, value-added manufacturing and jobs in an area with high unemployment."
HaiCo has also signed an agreement with the Bank of Montreal to finance the acquisition of West Coast Resorts by Haida Tourism. West Coast Resorts owns five premium sports fishing lodges.
"We are pleased that BMO has the confidence to finance HaiCo's move into the tourism sector – an important job source for many Haida and other First Nations where West Coast operates," Ainsworth said.
