The 2017 Elephant Hill wildfire burned more than 190,000 hectares across Secwépemc territory in B.C.’s Interior, leaving behind a landscape in urgent need of healing. In response, eight Secwépemc communities came together to form the Secwépemcúl’ecw Restoration and Stewardship Society (SRSS), leading a long-term effort to bring life back to the land.
Through Forest Foods, Brinkman is honoured to support SRSS in this work. Together, we are advancing forest restoration that respects traditional Indigenous knowledge, enhances biodiversity, and creates new livelihood opportunities rooted in the land. This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to reconciliation, ecosystem resilience, and community wellbeing.
The Narwhal also featured the Cheakamus and Secwépemcúl’ecw Community Forest projects in its Carbon Cache series, with journalist Stephanie Ḵwẹtásel̓wet Wood capturing how communities and partners are shaping a model of restoration that others can learn from. We are proud that Forest Foods’ ongoing involvement in the Cheakamus and Elephant Hill recovery efforts was recognized in this story.
See the full article on The Narwhal here.
