Hartley Bay community members are employed
in a variety of sectors, including village
administration, public works and safety,
social and health services, housing, treaty
negotiations, education services, salmon
enhancement, forestry, tourism and ecological
research.
The Gitga’at people also rely on a variety
of informal economic activity, harvesting
wildlife, fish and non-timber forest products
throughout their Territory.
Many members continue to fish, hunt and harvest
traditional marine and plant resources.
The Gitga’at people are continuously
exploring long-term, sustainable economic
development opportunities that will meet
the needs and fulfill the aspirations
of present and future generations. Overarching
goals for all economic development in
the Territory are to generate economic
and employment benefits for the Gitga’at
people while maintaining the area’s
ecological integrity and the community’s
overall well being.
The Gitga’at Development Corporation
(GDC) was established in 2002 to undertake and coordinate
various community economic development initiatives. In recent years key initiatives have included:
-
Establishment of a Band owned forest company - Gitga'at Forestry Inc. - that will undertake management of a non-replaceable forest license
- Along with other coastal First Nation communities, exploration and development of a shellfish aquaculture business, including a Band-owned shellfish aquaculture farm
- Development of a Band-owned small-scale hydro project that will provide Hartley Bay with sufficient energy to meet the community's needs for decades to come
- Development of a tourism sector access strategy that includes partnerships with other businesses and employment and training programs
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