THUNDER BAY — After six weeks of in-classroom instruction, 10 members of three area First Nations received a chance to show their hands-on skills with harvesting machines this week at a job site 400 kilometres north of Thunder Bay.
The Agoke Development Corporation arranged with equipment suppliers to deliver a buncher, a skidder and a harvester to the Ogoki Forest, which lies east of Wabakimi Provincial Park.
ADC is a company jointly run by Aroland, Eabametoong and Marten Falls First Nations, It harvests and manages the 11,000-square-kilometre Ogoki Forest under an arrangement with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
The trainees have been enrolled in a 10-week program administered by Confederation College.
When they began the course, few of them had any idea what a feller buncher, a skidder or a harvesting processor looks like.
Dillon Atlookan, a 24-year-old from Eabametoong, said in a statement released through ADC that he's looking forward to getting on with a production crew.
"I love working in the woods, on the traditional lands. I like working with the big machines...this all makes going to work in the bush a lot of fun and rewarding," Atlookan said.
Mark Bell, an ADC board member from Aroland, said the company is excited about promoting forestry careers and the spin-off economic opportunities in the traditional territories.
"We view the regional forestry shortfall as a golden opportunity for our peoples...There are many from Aroland, Eabametoong and Marten Falls already working in forestry, but the goal now is to the open the door wider and facilitate training," Bell said.
Eabametoong board member Bill Spade wants to see the younger generation take advantage of the new opportunities, but said it will take "a wholistic approach" with First Nations, government and the forest industry companies collaborating on workforce development strategies including promotion, recruitment and retention.
Lawrence Baxter, a director from Marten Falls, added that ADC is looking to develop partnerships with businesses that involve First Nations people within their forest companies.
"This is core to Agoke's procurement policies," Baxter said.
Last fall, Agoke Development Corporation was the recipient of the Business Partnership of the Year Award at the NADF Business Awards ceremony in Timmins.
