Project Investment:

• Island Coastal Economic Trust: $200,000
• Total Budget: $703,946

Project Highlight:

Snaw-Naw-As First Nation, through Nanoose Economic Development Master Limited Partnership, has purchased a 13.5-acre property to establish a community-led food security and farm hub.

The site will serve as a long-term asset for local food production, training, and entrepreneurship, advancing the Snaw-Naw-As First Nation’s goal of food sovereignty and economic independence.

The project will transform the site into a working demonstration and training farm that integrates greenhouse and field production, orchard agriculture, food processing, and eco-tourism. Core infrastructure includes a greenhouse, a 3.5-acre farm and orchard, and a cold storage and processing facility, alongside accessible washrooms, electrical and plumbing upgrades, and a renovated farm stay to support training and visitors.

Together, these investments will create a culturally safe, educational hub that combines modern agricultural techniques with traditional Coast Salish foodways. The initiative will generate seasonal employment, training, and entrepreneurial opportunities, positioning Snaw-Naw-As as a regional leader in Indigenous food security and agritourism. Once established, the hub will serve as a replicable model for other First Nations seeking to build climate-resilient, community-based food systems.

Island Coastal Economic Trust is partnering on the project through a $200,000 investment from the Capital and Innovation funding program, under the Food Security and Agrifood priority.

Wellbeing Impact

The Trust invests in projects using a Wellbeing Impact Framework that looks beyond traditional economic metrics. This approach evaluates how each investment strengthens economic prosperity, cultural vitality, climate resilience, and social empowerment. By focusing on outcomes that matter to people and place, the Trust works to spur new investments that create meaningful, lasting benefits across Vancouver Island and the coast.

By investing in agricultural facilities, processing equipment, and site upgrades, Snaw-Naw-As is creating lasting community assets that strengthen economic self-reliance and attract further private and institutional investment to the region.

Economic Prosperity 

This project strengthens the local economy by:

• Establishing three new businesses:
  – A subscription food box service
  – Farm-gate sales and farmer’s market
  – Farm stay/workshop offerings
• Expanding two existing businesses
• Expanding one social enterprise
• Forging four partnerships with:
  – Sustainable Food Security (management, training, & operations)
  – Rise Up!
  – Red Feather Horticulture (orchard planning)
  – Tsq’escen First Nation Broken Rock Ranch
  – SkyAcres

Social Empowerment

The project supports social empowerment with:

• Three new permanent full-time jobs
• Two new permanent part-time jobs
• Three new seasonal jobs
• Six temporary jobs
• 10 new volunteer positions supporting community events, workshops, and knowledge-sharing activities

Climate Resiliency

The project will contribute to climate resiliency by:

• Incorporating sustainable building and agriculture practices, including regenerative growing and water-smart irrigation
• Reducing local dependency on imported food by building year-round production, storage, and processing capacity
• Lowering transportation emissions, resulting in an estimated 2.5 tonnes of CO2 avoided annually
• Adopting and promoting circular farming practices such as composting and soil regeneration

Cultural Vitality

The project will strengthen cultural vitality by:

• Serving as a cultural and educational space for workshops and community gathering
• Incorporating Coast Salish language, art, and storytelling throughout the site
• Providing interpretive displays and educational programming
• Supporting intergenerational learning through cultural foodways, language, and traditional stewardship practices