FORT ST. JOHN -- A ground breaking ceremony for the first urban reserve in Northern B.C. was held in Fort St. John today.

Naache Commons marking the start of what will be a path forward towards prosperity for the Doig River First Nation, according to council member Brittany Brinkworth.

“It’s a legacy that will benefit our current members and many generations for years to come,” said Brinkworth.

The ceremony was held at the future site of the commons, across from Ma Murray Community School between 116th Street and 105th Avenue.

Once complete, it will be home to a service station, residential, retail, and office space, spread across eight acres of land.

“It’s a huge accomplishment for our nation,” said Brinkworth to a roar of applause.

To mark the start of construction of the development, slated to begin in two weeks, attendees including Doig Elders, Mayor Lilia Hansen, and MLA Dan Davies listened at the Doig River Drummers played prayer songs, a land blessing was offered, and Doig Council spoke on the importance of the devlopment to the Nation. 

“I do think this is the future forward—these relationships that we’re building, that we built as a community, with our First Nations partners,” said Davies.

In 2020, the City of Fort St. John signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Doig First Nation to begin developing the land.

“It’s a neat correction of history that we can see this partnership-- bringing a piece of their culture and their history back into Fort St. John,” said Davies.

Plans for the commons were drafted in partnership with Urban Systems, a B.C. based consulting firm.

“We look forward to the many opportunities that will not only benefit our Nation and members, but also the City of Fort St. John,” said Brinkworth.

Doig River Chief Trevor Makadahay was not in attendance at today’s event, but passed on the message-- ‘We never left Gat Tah Kwą̂, we were just coming home.’

A similar Urban Reserve is being planned in Dawson Creek, with the Doig River requesting the city set aside two plots of land off Highway 2, totalling 10.2 acres, in late March.