In 1997, as part of a resolution of legal issues surrounding the cancellation of the Kemano Completion Project in northwestern British Columbia, the government of British Columbia and Alcan Inc. each contributed $7.5 million to create the BC-Alcan Northern Development Fund. The BC-Alcan Northern Development Fund Act was passed, setting up a legal structure for the Fund.
Following advice from a regional advisory board, the NKDF Society was incorporated (see our constitution) on August 18, 1999 with the following mandate:
To support sustainable economic activity in northern communities affected by the Kitimat-Kemano project and by the creation of the Nechako Reservoir. NKDF spends the income from its long-term investments on programs and projects that meet each community’s goals for economic development and community stability.
Since then, the fund has been governed according to those principles, by a board of directors appointed by the BC government.
The Fraser Lake & Area Menshed Society we feel has been a great success, largely due to the grant for our shop addition from the NKDF. Without the grant we would not have had the courage to proceed with its...