Community

Committed,
engaged,
local

First nations engagement

At Gwaii Engineering, we understand that strong, respectful relationships are the foundation of meaningful work.
Our commitment to Indigenous communities extends far beyond project delivery — it’s about being present, building trust, and walking alongside the Nations we work with. Whether it’s attending cultural events, participating in ceremonies, or ensuring our team receives meaningful cultural training, we show up with humility and intention. This page highlights some of the ways we stay connected, engaged, and grounded in the communities that shape and inspire our work.

Opening Ceremony of the new Ɂəms ʔayɛ building for Tla'amin Nation

It was an honour to join the Tla’amin Nation on National Indigenous Peoples Day for the grand opening of Ɂəms ʔayɛ (“Our House”) — their new cultural centre and traditional food processing facility.

This long-awaited celebration marked the completion of a visionary project, years in the making. The event was a powerful reminder of the importance of cultural spaces that honour tradition, community, and connection to the land.

Our relationship with the Tla’amin Nation is one we deeply value. While we’re proud to currently be working together on a new subdivision project, it’s the trust and relationships we’ve built over time that matter most! We look forward to working together for many more years to come.

Opening of The Baymont by Wyndham hotel for mmfn

Mike attended the Totem Raising ceremony for the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation, as part of the opening of their new hotel.
The Baymont by Wyndham hotel- boasting 49 rooms- is owned by & operated by MMFN, and Gwaii proudly provided Project Management, Civil & Environmental engineering for the Nation on this project.
We are also providing the same services for 2 other buildings that are currently in progress – the other two being a 9-unit rental housing accommodation for staff, and a future tourism and welcome house for the Nation.
We are very honoured to be supporting MMFN on these exciting projects, and it was very special to gather with the community for this milestone.

Cultural Training with kwast-en-ayu

We had the honour of hosting KWAST-en-ayu from Indigenous Insight for an important conversation on Meaningful Reconciliation. His words were a powerful and challenging reminder that reconciliation is not a land acknowledgement, or a government-declared holiday, nor is it a checkbox or a corporate policy. Reconciliation can start with a commitment to listening- to building relationships, to stepping foot on First Nation land and speaking to families, confronting uncomfortable truths, and having the courage to take sustained, informed action. We’re grateful to KWAST-en-ayu for his wisdom and immense generosity. These conversations aren’t easy — nor should they be.

Ground Blessing Ceremony for Tla'amin Nation

Jared attended this important ceremony marking the beginning of work on a new subdivision for the Nation, which will provide essential housing for the community! We are pleased to be providing both Civil & Environmental Engineering on this project, and look forward to seeing it come to fruition.

TSAWOUT BIG HOUSE OPENING CEREMONY

It was an honour for the Gwaii team to join the Tsawout Nation on this historic day in October 2022-the opening of their Longhouse.

After the Tsawout Nation lost their Longhouse in a devastating fire in 2009, it was especially moving to see this project come to fruition. The new Big House now serves as a cultural gathering place, a home for the revitalization of cultural practices, a place for traditional teaching and learning, and a place for the revitalization of traditional social structures.

CULTURAL WALK OF TLA'AMIN NATION LANDS

The Gwaii team had the honour of joining KWAST-en-ayu on a Cultural Walk through Tla’amin Nation lands. Before beginning our project work, we were invited to learn directly from them about the Nation’s history and deep connection to the land. Along the trail, we learned that:
– The coastline path once served as a lookout for incoming tribes.
– The area is home to numerous culturally modified trees (CMTs) and shell middens.
– Hidden depressions in the forest provided shelter for women and children during times of invasion.
We are deeply grateful to KWAST-en-ayu for sharing his knowledge and guiding us through this important learning experience. The walk gave our team a much richer understanding of the Tla’amin Nation’s history and the land we are honoured to work on.

YOUTH OUTREACH

HELPING SHAPE THE FUTURE OF ENGINEERING

At Gwaii, we want to help inspire the next generation to pursue careers in science & engineering. We believe that if you can see it, you can dream it. By helping expose young people to the field of engineering, we hope to inspire more under-represented communities to pursue STEM careers.

UNIVERSITY CAREER FAIRS

We partnered with Science World in both 2024 and 2025 to bring their popular ‘On the Road’ show to many different elementary schools on Vancouver Island.
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In 2024, they reached 1,226 students in School District 70 Pacific Rim – including Port Alberni, Tofino, Ucluelet, Hot Springs Cove and Ahousaht (one of BC’s largest First Nations, located on the west coast of Vancouver Island).⁠
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In 2025, they reached 10 different elementary schools in Cowichan, including the Stz’uminus First Nation, Snuneymuxw First Nation, and Cowichan Tribes.

We are thrilled to help bring this incredible programming to these students and create some excitement around science!

SCIENCE WORLD 'ON THE ROAD' TOUR

In 2025, they reached 10 different elementary schools in Cowichan, including the Stz’uminus First Nation, Snuneymuxw First Nation, and Cowichan Tribes.

We are thrilled to help bring this incredible programming to these students and create some excitement around science!

JOB SHADOWING WITH SD61 and SD63

We have been working with local school districts for the last few years to facilitate Job Shadow Days with high school students.

From site visits to learning Civil 3D, we want to help expose young students to Civil Engineering and the kinds of careers they can pursue in this field!

At Gwaii, we are here to help build pathways for the next generation of civil engineers! Through these kinds of initiatives, we aim to inspire Indigenous youth and other underrepresented groups to see themselves in STEM careers.

Representation matters — and when young people see engineers who look like them, who share their values, and who care about their communities, it plants a powerful seed of possibility.

Go eng girl at uvic

We had a great time at the UVic GO ENG GIRL event, offering girls & non-binary youths from grades 7-12 with hands-on activities and encouragement to those interested in exploring engineering as an academic path and career! ⁠

It was wonderful to see and engage with so many bright, young faces. ⁠We love to see more & more young women getting into Engineering. ⁠
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CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY

We are excited to announce we have received a GOLD CERTIFICATION from BC Green Business for our efforts in reducing our environmental impact as part of our continued commitment to corporate sustainability.

As a BCGB member, we undergo annual evaluations to track our sustainability progress and make continuous improvements towards our green goals. Through the program, we work alongside over 160 like-minded businesses across British Columbia who are taking climate action for the planet, the people, and the community.

Specific action steps were taken over this past year to meet the criteria for this certification, including:

Establishing a Sustainable Purchasing Policy and Corporate Sustainability Strategy to guide company actions.
Conducting a waste, water, and sustainability audit to identify gaps and areas of improvement.
Hosting and participating in community beach clean-ups.
Committing to social sustainability via the 4-day work week.
Through the adoption of TRC action #92, embracing sustainability through a cultural lens within corporate policy and core operational activities involving Indigenous peoples and their lands and resources.

Our participation in the program was covered by the Indigenous Business Bursary – thank you to the several organizations that have contributed this year! ⁠

Learn more about how BC Green Business is helping businesses take climate action.

ḴEL,ḴELOŦEN ȻE S,ISTEW̱ Education Fund Award

In June of 2021 we created the ḴEL,ḴELOŦEN ȻE S,ISTEW̱ Education Fund Award with our partners AME Group, Diamond Schmitt, Number TEN Architectural group, RJC Engineers, AES Engineering, and the Victoria Native Friendship Centre.⁠

There are very few Indigenous, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis professionals working in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Many engineering and architecture firms work with Indigenous communities, but few have Indigenous people working within their organizations. We recognize this and want to help Indigenous people pursue careers in our industry.

The Fund supports Indigenous persons residing in BC and pursuing post-secondary studies. The fund provides both financial support with an annual $5,000 award and career mentorship for all applicants.

To honour the local Nations, the team worked with the SENĆOŦEN Language-Revitalization Group to name the fund. What emerged through conversation was this phrase:⁠ ḴEL,ḴELOŦEN ȻE S,ISTEW̱. The English translation is “a dream for what becomes of you”.⁠

Community

Committed,
engaged,
local

First nations engagement

Opening Ceremony of the new Ɂəms ʔayɛ building for Tla'amin Nation