Community Category Finalists
Carcross Tagish Management Corporation

CTMC created a strategy which includes mountain bike trails, a retail development, accommodations and a water front residential subdivision. Montana Mountain’s "single track to success” initiative now has 65 kilometers of world class mountain bike trails hand cut by local First Nation youth. They also recently celebrated breaking ground on the Carcross Commons: a Commercial Village to service the 100,000 summer guests who arrive by planes, trains and automobiles that now includes bikers, hikers, and wind boarders. This winter CTMC passed a humble but notable milestone. The company, for the first time, has provided local employment year around. Local people worked all winter to construct the retail village, bringing the community one step closer to its vision of providing year round jobs for its people. Justin Ferbey, the CEO of CTMC states, "We have negotiated for the opportunity to flourish and see our people live a life sought by other Canadians: to be safe, healthy and proud of their nation. The tools, the timing and the opportunity are there: the choice is ours.” There is no doubt that the Carcross/Tagish First Nation (CTFN) has decided to succeed, and in so many ways, already has.
Kahkewistahaw Economic Management Corporation

The Petro Canada started operations in 2004, and currently employs approximately 23 community members, has generated millions of dollars of revenue and is currently on pace to contribute over $500,000.00 this fiscal year. Realizing the importance of partnerships, KEMC established a lucrative partnership with D3H Hotels, a hotel management company that owns and operates ten hotels across Western Canada. The new Home Inn and Suites is an $8 million dollar facility, just opened in March 2013, and is located on KFN land in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. Mamawi Holdings is the entity that manages over 40 million dollars' worth of developed property in Yorkton, all of it located on Kahkewistahaw First Nation land and generates over $600,000.00 in lease revenue each fiscal year. These revenues have enabled the KEMC to create a new company called Kahkewistahaw Sand & Gravel, established in partnership with Peter's Crushing and Hauling. After investing nearly one million dollars into equipment required to begin operations, the new company has already begun generating revenue from its machinery and the product it makes. Today, KEMC is a successful economic development organization with multi-million dollars in revenue and multi-million dollars in development on Kahkewistahaw First Nation land. There is no question that Kahkewistahaw First Nation has attained a commendable measure of success in their economic development endeavors, and will continue to create employment and wealth for their members and the general public at large well into the future.