How are we working together?
The Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation worked closely with three regional economic trusts — the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior B.C., Island Coastal Economic Trust, and Northern Development Initiative Trust — to develop and conduct a comprehensive series of engagements with all the First Nations located in their respective service regions.
- The Economic Trust of the Southern Interior B.C. worked with their Indigenous Outreach Consultant, Gail Joe, to engage a majority of the 33 First Nations in their service region. The engagement process started in July 2024 and finished in November 2024. Between November 2024 and February 2025, the trust held three in-depth meetings with First Nations leaders who expressed interest in providing input with the objective of exploring governance models and legislative amendments. Ministry staff are coordinating with the trust to receive their report.
- Island Coastal Economic Trust engaged Sanala Planning, who is conducting an independent Indigenous-led process with the majority of the 53 First Nations across Vancouver Island and the surrounding coast. They are exploring their vision for transforming the Trust to a new model of co-governance and shared decision-making. From these Indigenous-led engagements, First Nations and Sanala will produce a strategic recommendations report that will be provided to the trust, provincial government, Members of the Legislative Assembly, local governments and the public in Spring 2025.
- Northern Development Initiative Trust established an Indigenous Advisory Committee in 2022 to guide its work with First Nations. In 2024, the trust hired four independent consultants to engage with the majority of the 89 First Nations located in their service region to understand their views on representation in the Regional Advisory Committees and the Board of Directors. Each consultant submitted final reports at the end of 2024. Ministry staff are coordinating with the trust to receive their report.
Are there challenges?
The Province and trusts need to explore ways to address capacity constraints for engaging in direct dialogue with First Nations governments across each service region to ensure diverse perspectives and interests are incorporated into the design of a new mechanism for regional inclusion in decision-making.
Highlights
- The Economic Trust of the Southern Interior B.C led an inclusive, broad-based engagement with First Nations in their service region which has helped strengthen awareness and relationships between the Trust and First Nations in the region. First Nations leaders expressed support for a new governance model that brings them together with municipally and regionally elected officials to address regional economic development collaboratively.
- Island Coastal Economic Trust engaged 32 First Nations in its service region in 2024-25. Sanala held two-hour dialogue sessions and gathered many insights. These include how governance of the Trust can be transformed to drive long-term regional economic impact and harness local leaders’ diverse knowledge and relationships to build strategic and collaborative partnerships between their governments and businesses. First Nations leaders expressed support for the Trust being transformed into a model of co-governance and shared decision-making.
- Northern Development Initiative Trust worked with a team of consultants to engage with 66 First Nations in its service region in 2024-25. These consultants submitted a final report at the end of 2024. The results of the engagement were positive with First Nations leaders expressing support for a more inclusive governance model.
Previous years’ progress
Highlights
- Northern Development Initiative Trust has advanced planning and discussion of Action 4.39 through an Indigenous advisory committee. Northern Development Initiative Trust’s engagement team is currently being assembled with First Nations engagement expected to begin in Spring 2024. Northern Development Initiative Trust formed an Indigenous advisory committee to advance this work and has met six times since late 2022.
- Island Coastal Economic Trust is working with an independent Indigenous consultant from K’ómoks First Nation to develop an engagement and project plan with a goal to create a pathway for transformation of the trust in alignment with Action 4.39 and with Island Coastal Economic Trust’s strategic goal of co-governance. Island Coastal Economic Trust is working with an independent First Nations consultant on a project plan for engagement expected to occur throughout 2024/25 and has met with the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation (JEDI) and the consultant twice since early 2024.
- Economic Trust of the Southern Interior has initiated early engagement and planning with the intent to work with an Indigenous partner or advisor to further develop a region-specific engagement plan. Economic Trust of the Southern Interior has initiated early planning to explore potential First Nation partners with engagement expected to occur throughout 2024/25.
How are we working together?
The Province and the Trusts are planning an inclusive, broad-based engagement with First Nations in each service region throughout 2024/25 with the understanding that this will strengthen relationships between the Trusts and First Nations, raise awareness about the role of the Trusts, and allow for an open dialogue with First Nations on how they wish to be included in the governance of the Trusts going forward. Each Trust is working with an Indigenous partner or advisor to develop a region-specific engagement plan that reflects the diverse interests, priorities, and governance structures of First Nations in their respective service regions. The purpose of the engagement process is to seek input on mechanisms to ensure the inclusion of First Nations in regional decision-making, which may require changes to the enabling legislation and related regulations for each Trust.
The Province and the Trusts have established a working group and have convened to advance an approach for engagement with First Nations on potential changes to provincial legislation as to establish a mechanism that enables the inclusion and representation of First Nations in the governance of the Trusts.
Northern Development Initiative Trust established an Indigenous advisory committee in late 2022 for the purposes of strengthening relationships with the 89 First Nation communities in its service region, including engagement on a mechanism to ensure the inclusion of First Nations in the governance of the trust going forward.
Are there challenges?
The Province and the Trusts will need to explore ways to address capacity constraints for engaging in direct dialogue with First Nation Governments across each service region as to ensure a diversity of perspectives and interests are incorporated into the design of a new mechanism for regional decision-making.
Engage First Nation partners at a provincial and regional level to design inclusive engagement processes that allow for an open exchange of interests and ideas with First Nations across each service region, including opportunities to leverage capacity funding for communities available through the Declaration Act Engagement Fund, as well as the flexibility to support these processes through funding recently provided by the Province to each Trust.