The Osoyoos Indian Band announced a new commercial partnership with Ecora Engineering and Resource Group last week.
The new partnership, named Inera, will “focus on strengthening and enhancing cultural and traditional resources,” read the press release.
“The Osoyoos Indian Band has always understood the importance of building strategic partnerships,” said OIB’s Chief Clarence Louie. “This new partnership will advance the Band’s interest in ensuring that future development will have a renewed focus on environment and responsible land stewardship.”
Inera will have access to the Ecora network of service providers, with over 100 Okanagan based engineers, forestry and environmental professions. The partnership will offer services in archaeological studies, resource inventory and analysis, environmental integrity management, fish habitat protection, and flood resiliency planning and mitigation, among others.
Ecora has worked with the OIB on a number of projects since 2010, including the Tim Hortons Gulf gas station development at the Senkulmen Business Park and helping the band get their First Nations Woodland license.
Ecora Engineering and Resource Group C.E.O., Kelly Sherman, said he is excited to partner with the First Nation to support the OIB’s commercial and cultural initiatives.
“This partnership will further strengthen the relationship between OIB and Ecora that has been built over the last decade of working together on various projects,” he said in a written statement.
Ecora works with over 40 First Nations, and has multiple other partnerships like Inera with First Nations around the province. Sherman said their team is particularly excited to work with the Osoyoos Indian Band because of their business successes.
“OIB is a beacon for First Nation economic development in Canada, which has provided for their members and provided a means for enhancing their culture,” he said. “Inera will seek to support OIB’s success both economically, culturally, and environmentally.”
The first project the new partnership will take on is the development of Nk’Mip concern in Osoyoos.
