Blueberry First Nations says native plant orchard to help restore B.C. industry sites

FORT ST. JOHN — A First Nation in British Columbia says a new native plant orchard established in its territory could help reclaim and restore thousands of industrial sites around northeastern B.C.

The Blueberry First Nations near Fort St. John unveiled the orchard last week, and Chief Sherry Dominic said it will produce native plants for sale to industry partners in the oil and gas sector, as well as Indigenous communities.

The nation says in a statement the garden will eventually have 1.7 million seedlings from a representative supply of grasses, shrubs, wildflowers and trees to reflect various layers of a healthy forest system.

“So, eventually, (the orchard) will be putting the land back to its natural form,” Dominic said in an interview.

A crew of its members have been picking the initial seedlings for the orchard over the past two years, she said.

The plantation grew out of an agreement with the province in 2023, after a court found in 2021 that British Columbia had infringed on local treaty rights due to decades of industrial development.

The nation claimed its territory had an estimated 8,000 abandoned well sites and fully restoring the sites will require about 850 million trees and native plants.

The region has also suffered damage from wildfires, including the 2023 Donnie Creek fire, which is the largest recorded wildfire in B.C.’s history.

Dominic said restoration won’t happen overnight but the launch of the orchard itself marks an important moment.

“This is a huge milestone in Blueberry’s journey toward restoring and healing the land across our traditional territory,” Dominic said.

A background document said about 80 per cent of the 40-hectare facility will be used to grow plants for sale, while the remaining area is reserved for the 500-plus nation members to harvest their own supplies.

The chief said the facility will help her members exercise treaty rights, like picking berries for medicinal purposes, while learning and sharing traditional knowledge.

“This initiative delivers meaningful and long-term benefits to Blueberry members through employment, skills development opportunities and connection to our cultural roots,” Dominic said.

“I look forward to seeing our members harvesting there, and I am excited to witness how this project will upscale restoration across our region, which is sorely needed.”

The northeastern corner of British Columbia is a central hub of the province’s energy sector.

The Blueberry Restoration Society, which was established as part of the 2023 agreement with the province, is contributing $9.5 million toward the restoration project.

Another $200,000 comes from Grandmother’s Greenhouse, a subsidiary of Blueberry River Resources, which the nation owns.

The nation is part of the Treaty 8 Nations, a group that also includes seven other First Nations in B.C.

The treaty itself was signed in 1899 and covers 41 First Nations across northeastern British Columbia, northern Alberta, northwestern Saskatchewan and the southwest portion of the Northwest Territories.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 20, 2026.

Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press