First Nation rolls out new equipment, contracts.

• Author: Ross, Ian
• Position: ABORIGINAL BUSINESS

An Ojibway community on the north shore of Lake Superior is carving out a path to prosperity in forestry.

Biigtigong Nishnaabeg (formerly Pic River First Nation) has taken possession of new European-made harvesting equipment to launch a forestry company to start harvesting off its traditional land this winter. Coupled with that is the news of secured contracts to start supplying two area forestry mills with wood.

Under the banner of Mkwa Timber, the band's fledgling forestry company, two harvesters were purchased from Ponsse of Finland, a leading international forestry machine manufacturer.

An Ergo and an eight-wheeled Scorpion King arrived off the boat in Canada on Jan. 28 and were shipped to Timmins for inspection before arriving in the community for a scheduled public showing on Feb. 5.

Combined with two forwarders and starting with eight operators configured in two shifts, Mkwa Timber started operations in early February.

"We're excited about the opportunity we have created here," said company president Byron LeClair, who ordered the equipment a year ago and just announced timber supply agreements with AV Birla's Terrace Bay pulp mill and White River Forest Products' sawmill.

The band had been working on the contracts through the Nawiinginokiima Forest Management Corporation to harvest softwood for Birla and saw logs for White River.

LeClair said Pic River holds a legacy commitment from the province for exclusive harvesting rights on the Pic River Ojib way Forest and is moving toward securing the same on the Big Pic Forest, the management unit surrounding the community.

"It's Terrace Bay's wood to receive, but it's our right to harvest," he said. "I say this tongue-in-cheek: companies come and companies go, but Pic River First Nation is going to be here for a long time."

The community previously had its hand in commercial harvesting back in the early 1980s, supplying the former owners of the Terrace Bay mill. But the bush work was contracted out, which did little to develop local capacity and build a skilled workforce.

"Before we were a stump-to-dump operation that relied heavily on one contract," said LeClair.

"We've been burnt on that Terrace Bay mill before. The previous owner declared bankruptcy and we lost substantial amounts of money for wood (harvested) that was never paid for."

The arrival of Birla in Terrace Bay and the restart of the former Domtar sawmill in White River provided the impetus for the band council to get back...