Generating wealth and creating prosperity from economic opportunities for current and future generations of the Skwxwú7mesh Nation.

Nch’ḵay̓

About Nch’ḵay̓

Nch’ḵay̓ was established in 2018 as the economic development arm of the Squamish Nation. Its mandate is to develop, manage and own the active businesses of the Nation, and was created to allow for the separation of business and politics within the Squamish Nation. The name Nch’ḵay̓ was chosen as a reference to the Great Flood – the flood that forced Squamish Nation ancestors to tie their canoes to the highest mountain in the territory, Mount Garibaldi, in order to survive.

Skwxwú7mesh.

About Squamish Nation

The Squamish Nation consists of 23 villages and is comprised of descendants of the Coast Salish Aboriginal people who live in the present-day Greater Vancouver area, Gibson’s Landing and Squamish River watershed. The Squamish Nation has occupied and governed the territory since beyond recorded history. The Squamish Nation’s culture is rich and resilient. The Nation continues to practice its customs and traditions, which are strongly interconnected with the traditional territory. Together Squamish lands, customs and traditions are the foundations of who the peoples are as Skwxwú7mesh.

VIEW Squamish Nation WEBSITE

Board of Directors

Nch’ḵay̓ Board of Directors

The Squamish Nation Council went through an extensive process in collaboration with Boyden Canada to ensure they built an exceptional leadership team. Below, we would like to introduce you to the members of the Nch’ḵay̓ Board of Directors.

Mindy Wight

Chair (Squamish Nation Member)

Jay-Ann Gilfoy

Vice Chair

Bernd Christmas

CEO

Chris Lewis - Ancestral Name: Syeta’xtn

Squamish Nation Council Spokesperson & Councillor

Gordon Harris

Independent

Marcus Wooden

Squamish Nation Council Member

Mike Magee

Independent

Selected Project

Sen̓áḵw

Sen̓áḵw, noun:
“The place inside the head of False Creek.”

VIEW SEN̓ÁḴW WEBSITE

Sen̓áḵw, verb:
“The start of something beautiful; respect for nature, for indigenous peoples, for healing, and for a new path forward.”

Stay up to date

Nch’ḵay̓ Newsletter

Nch’kaỷ extends its sincerest gratitude and appreciation for your interest in our newsletter. To stay up to date with our latest news, please subscribe below.

Contact

Contact Nch’ḵay̓

Phone

(604) 985-1533

Address

1681 Columbia Street North Vancouver, BC V7M 1A5 Canada

Email

communications@nchkay.com

Address

1681 Columbia Street North Vancouver, BC V7M 1A6, Canada

Mindy Wight

Chair (Squamish Nation Member)

Mindy Wight is a Tax Partner with MNP based in Prince George and serves as National Leader, Indigenous Tax Services. Drawing on more than a decade of tax experience, Mindy assists First Nation communities and organizations with purchases and sales of businesses, reorganizing companies, and minimizing taxes. With deep knowledge and experience in Indigenous taxation, her cross-industry expertise includes advising on proprietorships, private corporations, trusts and partnerships owned by First Nation members and communities in a wide variety of industries, including construction, real estate, manufacturing, cannabis, tourism, energy and forestry. She specializes in helping First Nation members and organizations to utilize and maintain their income tax exemptions when organizing their corporate structures and businesses.

Mindy has attended Harvard Business School at Harvard University and is a graduate of the 2019 Leading People and Investing to Build Sustainable Communities program. She presents regularly at conferences and events on topics related to First Nation corporate structures and taxation. Mindy is a Chartered Professional Accountant, qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in 2009. She received a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Northern British Columbia.

Jay-Ann Gilfoy

Vice Chair

Appointed the CEO of Vancity Community Investment Bank in March 2018, Jay-Ann leads a bold impact-driven vision to finance a sustainable tomorrow. A mission dedicated to ensuring success is defined from outcomes in community strength and benefits to our planet.

Jay-Ann joined VCIB, a subsidiary of Vancity Credit Union, as senior vice-president of digital solutions and business technology where she led the development and implementation of a new core banking system. She also has many years of Executive experience in leading HR and cultural transformation.

Originally from Toronto, Jay-Ann now leads her team with a motto of “Bank on Change”, to deliver on their purpose-driven mandate to bring to the rest of Canada a unique business model that works to ensure money is being put to good use for organizations doing good for their communities.

Jay-Ann is also passionate about personal health and well-being, an advocate for physical, mental and community health. She also sits on the Board of ParticipACTION.

Bernd Christmas

CEO

Bernd Christmas, is the Managing Attorney of the Bernd Christmas Law Group. He was a partner in the Aboriginal Law Practice at Cassels Brock and is a member of the Mi’kmaq community of Membertou. Bernd’s practice focuses on Indigenous economic development. He is the former CEO of the Membertou Band. Bernd has sat on numerous National and International Boards and Commissions. He currently sits on the Boards of I.G. Wealth Management, Canada Post and the Indigenous charity, Outside Looking In.

Chris Lewis - Ancestral Name: Syeta’xtn

Squamish Nation Council Spokesperson & Councillor)

In 2017, Syeta’xtn was elected to his third consecutive four-year term as a member of the Squamish Nation Chiefs and Council.

Spokesperson for the Nation, Councillor Lewis is currently focusing on the following areas: Rights and Title and Intergovernmental Affairs with all levels of government and Indigenous organizations; Education; Economic Development; Governance; Planning and Capital Projects; Fisheries and access to our aquatic resources.

Syeta’xtn is also honored to sit and chair the Simon Fraser University Board of Governors. In addition, he is also board member of MST Employment and Training Society and the Coho Society of the North Shore. Previously, Chris was a founding Board member of the MST Development Corporation and worked for many years at the national and provincial level for the BC Assembly of First Nations focusing on First Nations advocacy and policy.

Raised by his grandparents, Chris was encouraged to learn the traditional ways of the land as well as further his academic education. Along with traditional teachings, Chris obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and Planning, with a minor in First Nations Studies from Simon Fraser University.

Gordon Harris

Independent

Gordon Harris is an urban planner, development strategist, real estate market analyst and author.

For more than three decades as Principal of Harris Consulting Inc. and Urban Land Advisors Inc., Gordon has been a leading provider of market-based economic analysis, strategic planning, and land use advice to property owners, investors, developers and all levels of government in Canada, as well as to businesses and governments around the world.

Since 2007, as President and CEO of SFU Community Trust, he has also led development of UniverCity, a complete community that is being built on Burnaby Mountain in Metro Vancouver, to complement and raise endowment income for Simon Fraser University.

Harris is a fellow of the Canadian Institute of Planners and the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, a past member of the National Capital Commission Advisory Committee on Planning, Design, and Realty, and is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for lifetime contribution to community building in Canada.

Marcus Wooden

Squamish Nation Council Member

Marcus has been a licensed Realtor® for over 6 years and has been in the Real Estate industry for 9 years, previously working for a developer in land acquisitions. Marcus exudes professionalism when representing his clients, negotiating the best deals possible and always keeping their best interests at the top of mind. Marcus’s hard work, competitiveness and determination allow him to be very successful in every aspect of the buying and selling process. Marcus’ degree in Business Entrepreneurship has allowed him to create a successful business and clientele. He has never been faced with a challenge he couldn’t conquer. Marcus is a member of the Squamish Nation and appreciates how Virani respects diversity, his people and his culture. Marcus hopes he and Virani Real Estate Advisors can be a positive light within the community. As a proud Squamish Nation member, a steward of these lands, Marcus wants to make change one home sale at a time. Marcus has lived on the North Shore for the majority of his life. Whether hiking, biking or skiing BC has everything and is the perfect landscape for any activity. In his spare time, Marcus loves quality family time, playing lacrosse, golfing and watching the Seattle Seahawks.

Mike Magee

Independent

Mike Magee is the principle and founder of Convergence Strategies, founded in 2000. He provides strategic counsel, facilitation and leadership support to a select group of government, business, real estate, investment and philanthropic clients across North America.

Mike helps his clients navigate investment, real estate acquisition, land use planning and the development of complex public policy. He specializes in convening and creating strategic partnerships. He has played a key strategic role in advancing several large scale infrastructure and land use initiatives throughout the region that seek to balance economic opportunity, social and environmental responsibility. In his role with Convergence, he continues to work with an international group of sustainability experts to advance climate policies that create economic opportunities.

From 2008 to 2016, Mike took a hiatus from his company to serve as Vancouver Mayor’s Chief of Staff through three successive terms and build on his love of city building, urban policy and planning. There, he was instrumental in crafting and implementing the strategies, partnerships and agendas that have made the city a global leader in sustainability, economic growth, reconciliation and civic innovation – recognized by the World Economic Forum as the world’s greenest city. His accomplishments at the city include helping navigate the financial recovery of the Olympic Village development, the hosting of the 2019 Winter Olympics, the securing of major infrastructure investments from the Federal and Provincial governments and the creation of legacy projects such as the Arbutus Greenway.

Now back with Convergence, he continues to work on policy development and planning issues in major urban areas in North America, with a focus on the Pacific Northwest. Mike has a longstanding interest in supporting First Nation-driven, conservation-based economic development. Prior to his work at the city, Mike helped support several northern First Nations in the establishment of conservation area plans that directly support economic opportunities for First Nations communities, such as the Taku River Tlingit Prior to starting Convergence, he worked with the Sierra Legal Defence Fund (now EcoJustice) and was a Senior Advisor with the Tides Canada Foundation creating philanthropic and impact investment strategies.

Generating wealth and creating prosperity from economic opportunities for current and future generations of the Skwxwú7mesh Nation.

About Nch’ḵay̓

About Squamish Nation

Nch’ḵay̓ Board of Directors

Mindy Wight

Jay-Ann Gilfoy

Bernd Christmas

Chris Lewis - Ancestral Name: Syeta’xtn

Gordon Harris

Marcus Wooden

Mike Magee

Sen̓áḵw

Nch’ḵay̓ Newsletter

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Contact Nch’ḵay̓

Phone

Address

Email

Address

Mindy Wight

Jay-Ann Gilfoy

Bernd Christmas

Chris Lewis - Ancestral Name: Syeta’xtn

Gordon Harris

Marcus Wooden

Mike Magee