A new cold storage facility for fish and seafood will be constructed this spring to serve the growing need on the North Island of British Columbia, Canada.
The 2.2 million pound capacity facility, to be located at Port Hardy’s old mall site, will be built by the k’awat’si Construction Company. The project is being led by the k’awat’si Economic Development General Partner Corporation (KEDC), a company founded to grow opportunities for the Gwa’sala-’Nakwaxda’xw Nations (GNN).
The new facility will meet the North Island’s growing demand for cold storage, which is currently 10 million pounds short of meeting capacity needs. It will also serve as a processing facility, with the potential to add specialty processing or shellfish deprivation as services on site.
“Our council is very proud of what KEDC has begun to accomplish in terms of new opportunities for our community in such a short time, this project is just one of many exciting initiatives we will be announcing this year,” said Gwa’sala-’Nakwaxda’xw Chief Paddy Walkus. “We hope that this will continue as those in BC and across the country begin to catch on to the momentum building here on the North Island.”
KEDC has created an agreement with successful local fish processor, Hardy Buoys Smoked Fish Inc, to provide key seafood services under lease at the site. “This project has been three years in the making and we’re very excited to see the project become a reality. The facility will be impactful, creating opportunities for the Gwa’sala-’Nakwaxda’xw community and providing much-needed services to the North Island,” said Bruce Dirom, president and CEO of Hardy Buoys Smoked Fish Inc.
Keltic Seafoods has committed to being one of the new facilities’ first committed customers. “This was a natural fit for us in terms of a mutually beneficial venture that will not only assist us in expanding our own capacity but will help position the northern coastal communities to be able to capitalise on future growth,” said Mickey Flanagan, Keltic’s CEO. “We are pleased to see the Gwa’sala-’Nakwaxda’xw taking a greater role in leading the way in providing, reliable, knowledgeable and local seafood services and we are proud to be a part of this journey.”
A second phase of development is being contemplated for the site that could see an additional more than two million pounds of storage realised in the coming years.
