The district is looking at options to build recreation trails in the Community Forest — stressing the importance of collaboration with Saik’uz First Nation on the proposed project.
Coun. Brian Frenkel told the Express that he’s hoping to go over the proposal with Saik’uz soon.
“Nothing’s decided yet. Our first goal is to really get a go ahead and a partnership with the Saik’uz community because it’s in their traditional territory,” Frenkel said.
“Coun. Moutray and myself would love to take a map and sit down and see if we can partner on this.”
The district would pay the full cost for an archaeology firm to assess the area for Indigenous artifacts at a projected cost of between $10,000 and $20,000.
Pending acceptance by Saik’uz First Nation, the board recommended that council include $15,000 in its financial plan for those assessments.
Saik’uz First Nation Chief Pricilla Mueller said the First Nation is consulting other officials within the community and their traditional oversight committee to decide the best way forward.
“We want to make sure that we do things right. I think it would be a positive thing because we could use it as a community,” Mueller said.
She said it would be a good idea to have trails for educational purposes.
“But we really don’t want heavy traffic in there. We’re trying to prevent a whole bunch of people from going in there and partying.”
The District of Vanderhoof board also asked that a representative from the Sinclar Group look into how the trails would impact any future harvesting plans.
ALSO READ: Four coastal B.C. first nations agree on further old-growth deferrals
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