NORTH Vancouver's Takaya Developments Ltd., builders of the Raven Woods development in Seymour, were winners at the B.C. Aboriginal Business Awards this month.
The company, majority owned by the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation, won the joint venture of the year award Nov. 3.
The company, which was founded 19 years ago as a partnership with NSI Strategic Investments and Sligo Holdings Ltd., has finished close to 800 homes in the Raven Woods area, and was one of the first developers to build condominiums on reserve land with a long-term lease.
"I think it's obviously a great honour to be recognized this way by your peers," said Chief Justin George of the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation. "I think it says a lot about the nation, just in terms of how truly the majority of the company Takaya is owned by the nation, so it's really the membership driving the business."
He said the company has substantially improved the economy on the reserve and has been the catalyst for increasing the function of local government as well as starting new businesses, such as Takaya Tours Ltd., which does nature tours in the area.
Since the company was launched, employment opportunities on the reserve have grown to 85 from just two in an area that includes forestry, fisheries and, most recently, investment in wind power, said George, which he said can all be traced back to that initial partnership.
"Our nation size is roughly 450, so that's a huge impact," George said.
The winners in each of seven categories were decided by a jury looking at sustainability, viability and competitiveness, said Nora Newlands, executive director of B.C. Achievement, which runs the aboriginal awards.
"In all cases it was noted what a unique development this was," she said. "They were a leader in what they were doing, a positive role model."
