Sustainability in Action
First Nations business grow with the Games: Resource
Business Ventures, Newhaven Construction
“It all started,” said Lyle Leo, lead
negotiator for the Lil’wat Nation, “with
the vision of pursuing a diversified economy for our Nation that
would carry over after 2010.”
What followed is the story of a construction
company’s development, from the ground up,
majority-owned by the Lil’wat Nation, which is using
the Games as an opportunity to grow skills, experience and business
acumen — one project at a time.
The seed was planted in 2002, during the Bid Phase, when the
Lil’wat and Squamish Nations, the Province of British
Columbia and the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation entered into a
Shared Legacies Agreement that included a commitment to provide the
First Nations with significant contracting opportunities.
Looking ahead to Games construction needs, the
Lil’wat Nation partnered with an established local
company to form Resource Business Ventures (RBV). It also retained
a local contracting company, Demidoff Equipment, to provide the
kind of management expertise required to take on large civil
construction projects.
In 2005, RBV was retained to clear the site at the Whistler
Nordic Venue. It delivered on time and on budget, and
was immediately awarded another, larger site-preparation contract.
Then, in 2006, following the successful completion of the second
contract, RBV received a multi-million dollar contract to build
major infrastructure at the Whistler Nordic Venue site,
including the biathlon stadium, competition trails, roads, bridges,
underground services and compounds.
"Our partnership with VANOC," said Chief Leonard Andrew of the
Lil'wat Nation, "has led to significant benefits for our Nation,
including the creation of Resource Business Ventures and the
considerable reduction of seasonal unemployment rates."
Troy Bikadi joined RBV in July 2005 in a business mentorship
position, leaving a 20-year career as a heavy-duty mechanic.
“Achieving what we’ve done so far took a
lot of effort,” said Bikadi. "The sweetest part for me
is the capacity-building — the training and skills
development. We see green guys like carpenter apprentices and
machine operators come in and get trained. We’re
building infrastructure and diversity that will take us beyond
2010. From a company perspective, this is our take-off point. I
don’t see us looking back.”
For his part, Leo is proud of RBV, the product of careful
negotiations and collaboration. “The net result is a
new First Nations company that has partnered with industry, created
employment, provided skills development and training, and proved
that partnerships do work and have positive, far-reaching results
for our community,” said Leo.
Similar successes have been achieved by Newhaven Construction, a
Squamish Nation-owned company. As a result of the commitments made
in the 2002 Shared Legacies Agreement, Newhaven has been
contracted to build a day lodge and other technical and maintenance
buildings at the Whistler Nordic Venue. They are also
building the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre in the
Resort Municipality of Whistler.
“VANOC is pleased that two of our Four Host First
Nations partners, the Lil’wat and Squamish Nations, are
playing a key role in the successful construction of the Whistler
Nordic Competition Venue, which is being built on their shared
traditional territories,” said Hilary Dunn,
VANOC’s manager of Aboriginal Participation.
“These Nations have taken advantage of the great
opportunity the 2010 Winter Games provide to showcase their talents
and expertise and to build lasting legacies for their
communities.” Chief Leonard Andrew of the
Lil’Wat Nation added, “Our partnership with
VANOC has led to significant benefits for our Nation, including the
creation of RBV and the considerable reduction of seasonal
unemployment rates.”
Making a difference with social enterprise
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