Ahousaht First Nation proudly unveils Phase One of their Regional Social and Economic Strategic Plan for their Traditional Territory in the Clayoquot Sound
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tofino, BC – (Feb. 23, 2009) – The Ahousaht First Nation in cooperation with the Province of BC, ARG Services Inc., and the Town of Tofino are excited to announce the launch of North America‟s premier First Nation-owned No-Net Negative Environmental Impact (NNNEI*) sustainable resort village and Recreation Conservation Reserve. Ahousaht First Nation Chief Councilor Keith Atleo, on behalf of the Ha‟wiih and Ahousaht Community, and Alistair Haughton, President of ARG Services Inc., announced today in Tofino, British Columbia that the time is right to unveil and move forward with development and operation of North America‟s first NNNEI sustainable resort village on nearby Meares Island in tandem with the Cypre Valley Recreation and Conservation Reserve.
“The Kakawis Wilderness Resort and Spa and the Cypre Valley Recreation and Conservation Reserve will redefine „eco-resort‟ development, setting a new standard for Canada‟s multi-billion dollar tourism industry” announced Chief Atleo. “Together we are embarking on a new, truly sustainable path, while celebrating first nation‟s arts, crafts, languages and culture”.
Mandates:
• To provide long term (generational) sustainable economic growth, while preserving traditional values, culture, and language.
• To provide tangible economic, social and environmentally sound benefits to the region as a whole rather than to a single party.
• To operate within the mandates of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
• To protect and manage our shared resources through Harmonized and Balanced socio-economic development.
• To promote and enhance opportunities with current tourism operators in the region
Outcomes for the Region:
• Will reverse current employment deficits within Ahousaht from -60% to +100%
• Will stimulate local economy, facilitate workforce development, foster civic pride, and create opportunities for greater cultural understanding within the region.
• Will help to preserve cherished traditional ways of life and heritage, as well as restore and protect threatened natural habitats.
• Will provide employment and business opportunities for neighboring Nuu-Chah-Nulth communities.
• Will provide experiences which generate community benefits without compromising the integrity of local peoples or negatively impacting local resources.
With the help of ARG Services Inc, the Ahousaht First Nation has developed a holistic, long-range socio-economic plan for the region, which highlights the rich and diverse beauty of the Clayoquot Sound, Indigenous peoples, and local communities. This proactive and creative socio-economic plan will provide a platform from which the provincial and federal governments can fulfill their commitments to foster economic growth, environmentally sustainable practices, and social and cultural development in remote communities.
The new resort site will be overlaid onto the existing “Brownfield” site located at the current Kakawis healing centre. The healing center itself is currently being relocated to a central location in Port Alberni. The Kakawis “Brownfield” site will be revitalized under a No-net negative impact policy, a key component of which will be a resort designed in harmony with the natural environment to avoid disruption to fauna or the area‟s innate beauty.
Similarly, the Cypre Valley Recreation Conservation Reserve will be overlaid onto existing “Brownfield” works, again enhancing rather than detracting from the natural lay and beauty of the land. Access to this recreational site will be via a booking office located at the foot of the first street dock, where foot passenger vessels will transport guests to and from the recreation area.
According to Chief Atleo, “Our primary goal is to improve and ensure the wellbeing of the Ahousaht community for generations to come. There has been increased attention lately on the plight of the Ahousaht people. A recent article in the Victoria Times Colonist succinctly summed up our situation as BC‟s “Third World Ghetto”. The health and survival of our entire community is at stake. Our new socio-economic plan can and will turn this situation around. At the same time we believe that we are inseparably linked to other local communities and to the region as a whole. With this in mind our vision includes developing in a way that will be rewarding and beneficial for all.”
Chief Atleo further asserted “It is important to recognize that this initiative is not tied to treaty process, as this remains a separate issue. This plan simply builds on our commitment to take action on logical, environmentally sound, socio-economically enhancing opportunities.”
According to Alistair Haughton of ARG Services Inc, “The heart of the plan focuses on economic growth through a culturally sensitive, finely planned resort and the deployment of sustainable power, water and waste systems. This will create training, career opportunities, and business offshoots for the Ahousaht First Nation and regional partners. Notably, this will be done through development of a sustainable industry (tourism) rather than via the typical primary industries.” ARG Services Inc has been retained by Ahousaht to oversee all project work including the design, development, construction and sustainable operation of the resort, Cypre Valley Recreation Conservation Reserve and marinas.
The Resort at Kakawis: Built and operated with the NNNEI policy at its core, all buildings are designed with West Coast native inspired architecture in mind. The resort will include an interactive interpretive centre in traditional long houses that will be integral to the site layout, utilizing LEED‟s inspired building envelopes, sustainable power generation, water production and waste-water recycling.
Designed to blend into the predominantly west facing site, the resort will feature up to 110 suites in a five star boutique lodge comprised of in-lodge bedrooms plus ancillary cottage accommodations. All buildings will be built below tree-line and discreetly sited for minimal visual intrusion while allowing for sea views from each guest room. Dining services run by the hotel will include a café at the marina landside adjacent to two- traditional longhouse interpretive centers. The latter will feature traditional dance, crafts, and story-telling with a separate restaurant within the central lodge building. Buildings will interconnect via walkways, boardwalks, paths and trails, providing many interpretive and native artwork display opportunities. First Nations inspired treatments will be offered at the spa and fitness amenity that will incorporate views and outdoor deck areas with hot tub areas for privacy.
A full service marina will help to solve the moorage issue for the region and also provide a stopping point for on-water traffic such as kayak tours, canoe tours, and local Whale Watching outfits. The marina will have a separate berth for float planes and the resort ferry-shuttle to and from Tofino, a short 5 minute boat ride away. The ferry-shuttle will be incorporated into the resort experience to be a friendly, unique and informative welcome to Kakawis.
In addition, activity management in nearby Cypre Valley will feature a state of the art and esthetically pleasing day lodge and viewing deck high atop the most prominent peak of Catface Mountain, providing unobstructed 360 degree views of Clayoquot Sound. Recreational activities will include Kayaking tours, Cultural tours, Horseback trail riding, hiking, world-class mountain biking, and extensive rainforest interpretive Canopy tours.
Continual improvement and the highest level of service will be part of the credo of the resort, and staff will be picked as much for their attitude as their skills.
Service areas will be placed away from public areas for minimal intrusion with only electric vehicles operated on site.
Thanks in part to the recent construction downturn, the total budgeted cost of construction has dropped to $63.5 Million, with $46M allocated to the Resort, $2.5M to the spa, $8M to the long house/café/activity booking centre, and $7M to the Marina. Twelve waterfront acres adjacent to the resort site are set aside as a buffer to the south and will feature ultra-luxurious West Coast Villa homes available for rental.
Timelines:
• Baseline (NNNEI) Environmental Inventory including wildlife inventory.
o Ongoing – Completion of first draft required for April 2009
•• Resort Design and Engineering.
o Ongoing – Completion of first final design required for management team review May 1, 2009
• 2nd Round public information session
o March 11, 2009
• Rainforest Canopy design and engineering.
o Start March 2009, completion for management team review May 1, 2009
• Finalize contracts with resort management teams/ begin staff training and succession plan for Ahousaht members.
o Ongoing – Final commitments required for March 25, 2009
• Begin Ground works at Kakawis site
o June 2009
Ends.
For more information, please contact:
Keith Atleo Chief Councilor, Ahousaht First Nation
250-670-9513
katleo @ telus.net (no spaces)
ARG Services Inc Alistair Haughton
Tel: 1 888 703 9626
Cel: 250 898 7376
alistair @ argservices.ca (no spaces)
*In brief; No-Net Negative Environmental Impacts is defined as:
“Everyone working together to ensure that wildlife, plants, water, air, soil and the processes that connect them will be better off or no worse tomorrow than they are today”
http://www.timescolonist.com/Welcome+British+Columbia+Third+World+ghetto/1266689/story.html
This article comes from NationTalk:
https://nationtalk.ca
The permalink for this story is:
https://nationtalk.ca/story/ahousaht-first-nation-proudly-unveils-phase-one-of-their-regional-social-and-economic-strategic-plan-for-their-traditional-territory-in-the-clayoquot-sound
Comments are closed.