BUICK -- Blueberry River Resources (BRR), a company established to advance the economic opportunities of the Blueberry River First Nations, has announced they will cease operations.
The decision follows a lack of supportive governance from council over its Band Council Resolution, according to a press release. The resolution, dating back to November 1st of 2022, outlines the BRR’s mandate.
“Without a supportive governance framework from BRFN Council, BRR is unable to execute its strategic plan and maintain a sustainable path forward,” read the release posted to LinkedIn.
It goes on to say, that in October, family councillors instructed the company’s leadership to stop their involvement with the organization, impacting their ability to operate independently.
The company also cited financial pressures, with an analysis presented to the board of directors showing the inability to maintain an income stream or assets.
“It was concluded that BRR no longer had the income stream or assets to sustain steady employment.”
The leadership determined that continuing operations would lead to "unacceptable risks to employees, directors, and the economic value of BRFN members’ interest," said BRR.
Employees have been notified of the decision, which was effective as of November 12th.
Correction:
A previous verison of this story stated "Among the leadership is former Mayor of Fort St. John Lori Ackerman, who was been CEO of Blueberry River Resources since 2022."
Ackerman is currently not CEO, but confirmed the title was held for approximately four months in 2022/2023.
CJDC-TV apologizes for this misstep in our reporting of this story.
