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Bowater values and respects the knowledge and experience of First Nations peoples, and we work with them to provide economic opportunities and to support training programs that enable those communities to participate in the harvesting and sustainable management of the local forest.

Bowater values and encourages relationships with the First Nations peoples living near our operations in the boreal forest and elsewhere. Bowater has partnerships and collaborations with First Nations in all of the provinces in which it operates. Some examples of these partnerships include:

Ontario

• In 1999-2000, Bowater partnered with the Wabigoon First Nation, near Dryden Ontario, to build a state-of-the-art tree seedling nursery in their community.  Bowater provided technical and business planning support for the venture, which is 100% owned and operated by the Aboriginal community.  Bowater buys approximately 2 million tree seedlings a year from Wabigoon First Nation for planting in our forestry operations.  Bowater and Wabigoon First Nation were awarded the Ontario Aboriginal Partnerships Recognition Award in 2000 for this facility.

• In 2000, Bowater established the First Nations Ranger Program – the first of its kind in Canada. Developed for First Nations youth of high school age, the program is a partnership between Bowater, Confederation College, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) and Outland Reforestation that provides life and job skills training, as well as practical work experience in forestry.

• In Thunder Bay, Bowater partnered with the Fort William First Nation to build a greenfield sawmill on their land.  The First Nation community constructed the building that houses the sawmill, and leases it to Bowater under a long-term agreement.  The sawmill is world class in its size and the technology used.  The sawmill began production in 2003, and has become a major employer for Fort William and other First Nation communities in the Thunder Bay region.

• Since 2003, Bowater has been working with the Gull Bay First Nation, near lake Nipigon in Northern Ontario, to provide silviculture skills training to aboriginal youth.  This project ultimately led to the creation of a First Nations-owned company specializing in environmental forest management.

• Since the 1970’s the company has been working with Kiashke Zaaging Anishinaabek (Gull Bay First Nation).  Bowater assisted the community to establish a Forestry Company called Niigaani Enterprises Incorporated.  The company is still in operation today.  It is primarily a logging company that employs about 50 people, mostly from the community.  The company also does the renewal work on the area they harvested and have planted over a million trees in some years.

• In 2004, Bowater helped the Mishkeegogamang First Nation near Sioux Lookout, Ontario, win a grant to train eight heavy equipment operators. Bowater provided transportation, common core training, first aid instruction, and a woodlands tour for trainees, some of whom are now employed in harvesting and other resource-based activities in the region.

Quebec

• In 2003, the Kitigan Zibi First Nation community in Maniwaki, Quebec, was awarded a forest supply contract, which led to a partnership with Bowater. Under the partnership, Bowater buys the entire volume of wood produced at its sawmill, while Kitigan Zibi gets support and expertise to undertake harvesting, silviculture and transportation activities. The partnership venture is creating jobs and has led to significant economic development opportunities for the people of Kitigan Zibi.

• Bowater has a good working relationship with the Quebec Innu. The Innu community was involved in Bowater’s forestry certification under the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Z809 sustainable forest management standard. Also, since 2006, Bowater and the Innu have also been involved in large-scale reforestation of old non-regenerated (burned) forests.

New Brunswick

• Bowater works cooperatively with the Eel River Bar and St-Mary’s First Nations on the forestry management consulting committee for the Upsalquitch forest license area.  At Bowater’s invitation, the Eel River Bar First Nation participated in the SFI forestry certification process.  Bowater and the Eel River Bar First Nation also have a joint committee to identify mill and forestry job employment opportunities, and train members of the community.

Learn more about our commitments:

• Respect for the boreal forest
• Protecting woodland caribou
• Forestry Certification