BC Government Supports ‘Na̱mg̱is First Nation Chip Facility That Will Supply Pulp & Paper Industry

Over the past 3-years, the British Columbia government has provided a $149,500 (CAD) to Atli Resources Limited Partnership (Atli Resources LP), which is the forestry arm of the ‘Na̱mg̱is First Nation. The funds were awarded through FP Innovations, a delivery agent for the Indigenous Forest Bioeconomy Program and the Indigenous Forestry Program.

The company has used some of those funds to help complete a business assessment and develop a plan to lay the foundation of the acquisition of a northern Vancouver Island chipping facility: Atli Chip LP, located in Beaver Cover, which is within the territory of the ‘Na̱mg̱is First Nation.

The funds also supported a study on improving the use of lower-quality timber from the northern parts of Vancouver Island and an engineering project to design a commercial-scale facility for the extraction of tannins from waste hemlock fiber. Tannins are biochemicals used in leather tanning and other applications. This project opens the door to produce new bioproducts using chips as feedstock.

Atli Resources LP is a forest company 100 percent owned by the ‘Na̱mg̱is First Nation. The Nation, through Atli Resources LP, are majority owners of Atli Chip LP with minority stakes from Wahkash Contracting Ltd. and Paper Excellence.