Shackan Indian Band’s chief anticipates an economic bump following the expansion of the band’s indigenous plant greenhouse.
Thanks to a $100,000 grant from the B.C. government’s rural dividend fund, the band is making plans to relocate and expand the greenhouse they use to grow traditional plants for reforestation in the Nicola Valley.
“We’re not moving it too far, just up the hill, but we’re expanding the size and scope of it,” said Shackan Chief Jordan Joe.
As part of the indigenous plant business, the community harvests seeds of native plants, cultivates them into seedlings in the greenhouse, then sells them to partners such as Highland Valley Copper or BC Hydro for rehabilitation efforts.
Expanding the native deciduous plant greenhouse should increase revenue and create jobs for band members, said Joe.
“The benefit to the band is economic development and job creation, and benefit to the community in the larger sense is in keeping with indigenous plants and using those for rehabilitation,” Joe said. “And if anyone wants access to native plants of the area, we can supply that.”
