Advancing value added

Advancing value added on Xaadáa Gwáay.aay│Xaayda Gwaay Haida Gwaii

The two-prefab resort cabin pilot project represent an important step in HaiCo's commitment to increasing the value generated from Xaadáa Gwáay.aay│Xaayda Gwaay Haida Gwaii forest resources. Guided by the HaiCo's vision for economic diversification and value-added forestry, the project demonstrates how Haida-owned resources can support new opportunities in tourism, housing, employment, and manufacturing.

Wood harvested by Taan Forest was transported to Vancouver Island for milling and prefabrication before being flat-packed and returned to Xaadáa Gwáay.aay│Xaayda Gwaay Haida Gwaii for assembly at Haida House. While portions of the manufacturing process occurred off-island due to current capacity limitations, the pilot was designed to explore how greater value can be retained from Haida-owned fibre and how more of that work can occur closer to home in the future.

Designed with flexibility in mind, the cabins demonstrate how island-grown wood can be transformed into high-quality structures that support tourism today while informing future opportunities in accommodation, housing, and other community needs. The project highlights the potential to capture greater value from every cubic metre harvested and how we can turn it into supporting local employment, skills development, and business growth.

The success of the pilot reflects the HaiCo's commitment to strengthening the local value-added economy. Through collaboration between HaiCo and Taan Forest, the project has created valuable learning and serves as a foundation for future opportunities in manufacturing, tourism, housing, employment, and economic diversification on Xaadáa Gwáay.aay│Xaayda Gwaay Haida Gwaii.