Businesses
GECO Companies
Gitxaała Enterprises has a number of businesses that our nation owns, manages and operates. These include the following:
Environmental Services
Leading the way in environmental and marine science in British Columbia’s Northwest Coast Region.
Who We Are
Gitxaała Environmental Services is wholly owned by Gitxaała Nation, whose traditional territory is situated on British Columbia’s north coast. The company was established in 2021 and its vision is to be the leading environmental and marine sciences consulting service provider in the northwest coast region of British Columbia. We are committed to the ongoing development of a highly trained and responsive local team based in Prince Rupert to service client demands in all natural resource sectors and levels of government.
Our aim is to enhance the capacity of the Nation and its members through participation in project development and operations in the northwest while improving the sustainability outcomes for our clients and the communities we work within.
Meet the Team
Trevor McConkey, M.Sc., P.Ag. – General Manager / Senior Project Manager
Trevor has over 20 years of experience providing environmental consulting services for ports and marine development projects, and in the oil and gas, forestry, transportation, energy, and mining industries in northern British Columbia. He has been responsible for building team capacity and standards of practice to meet client, regulatory, and community expectations on a wide range of environmental assessment and monitoring, remediation, and reclamation projects. He has worked extensively with industry, First Nations, and various government agencies on environmental matters across all life stages of major projects.
Jesse Anaka, M.Sc., EP – Technical Services Director / Senior Biologist
Over the past two decades, Jesse has evolved from a technical biologist to an industry leader providing clients with technical and regulatory advice to meet the challenges of complex and dynamic permitting projects. His knowledge and depth of experience in both aquatic and terrestrial biology has allowed his skill set to evolve over the years into effects assessments and management planning, environmental impact assessments, and Species at Risk Permitting. He has carried out and led environmental assessments and permitting for major LNG, mining, and renewable energy projects across Western Canada.
Genevieve Bock-Caron, B.A., Dipl., R.B.Tech (IT) – Environmental Technologist
Genevieve holds an Applied Coastal Ecology technical diploma from Coast College in Prince Rupert, BC and a B.A. from the University of Alberta. Her work experience has included a wide range of field and lab-based projects. Genevieve has extensive marine and safety training experience (MED, ROC, SVOP, Marine First Aid, Swiftwater rescue) which complements her technical field skills in marine mammal observation, hydroacoustic monitoring, and water quality assessments. Her expertise includes environmental and water quality monitoring; fish, amphibian, eel grass, and intertidal species identification; and electrofishing.
Yota Kano, M.Sc. – Marine Biologist
Yota holds a Master of Science in Marine Bioresource and Environmental Science from Hokkaido University and an advanced diploma in Sustainable Aquaculture from Memorial University of Newfoundland. His experience includes environmental monitoring, auditing, and assessments in aquatic environments; fisheries management; and aquaculture. Yota’s has worked on major marine export construction projects in the northwest and has been responsible for marine mammal observation, marine vessel operation, hydroacoustic monitoring, and water quality monitoring and sampling. He has also performed environmental auditing as an owner’s representative during marine construction.
Inza Maki, B.Sc., Dipl. – Project Biologist
Inza holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Victoria in Victoria BC and a Recreation, Fish and Wildlife technical diploma from Selkirk College in Castlegar, BC. Inza has experience in a range of skills including environmental monitoring on major port development projects in northwest BC. This includes water quality, hydroacoustics, marine mammal observation, and fish and wildlife monitoring and salvage. She is knowledgeable in intertidal habitats carrying out baseline studies, eel grass transplanting, and benthic macroinvertebrate collection and analysis.
Gavin Friend, R.P.Bio. – Project Biologist
Gavin holds an honours bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo. His experience includes a diverse array of leadership roles on large-scale development projects, focusing on the implementation of environmental management programs such as water quality monitoring, habitat assessments, fish/amphibian salvages, environmental monitoring, hydroacoustics and marine mammal observation, and erosion and sediment control audits. Gavin’s skillset offers practical application as well as professional expertise and guidance in a variety of environmental management capacities.
Steven Rogers, M.Sc – Project Biologist
Steven holds a BSc in Marine Biology and an M.Sc. in Integrative Biology. His experience includes environmental monitoring and assessments in both freshwater and marine environments, fisheries research, Species at Risk reviews, regulatory compliance, GIS, and sustainable resource management. His strengths in the field include monitoring compliance with Construction Environmental Management Plans, carrying out eDNA sampling techniques, vegetation salvage, marine mammal observation, hydroacoustic monitoring, and water quality.
Malcolm McLeod, B.Sc. – Natural Resource Specialist
Malcolm has a B.Sc. in both Ecology and Geography from the University of Calgary. His past work experience includes breeding bird surveys, benthic invertebrate assessments and classification, and water and soil quality sampling. His responsibilities include monitoring surface water, wastewater, and groundwater quality, and assessing project compliance with construction environmental management plans (nesting birds, marine hydroacoustic and water quality monitoring, and marine mammal observation).
Barry Vickers, SVOP, ROC-M, SDV-BS/MED-A3 – Vessel Operator
Barry is responsible for the operation of our work/crew boat providing safe travel for our crews to and from work sites in the Prince Rupert area. Barry has over 20 years of experience operating a wide range of vessels in and around the north coast of British Columbia.
What We Do
Environmental Assessment, Management & Permitting:
- Regulatory applications and permits
- Environmental management planning and monitoring
- Environmental Impact Assessment
- Fisheries Act authorizations and Disposal at Sea permitting
- Habitat assessments, inventory, and monitoring for wildlife and aquatic species (freshwater and marine)
- Marine mammal and bird surveys
- Sediment and erosion control
- Spill response planning and training
Contaminated Site Assessment & Remediation:
- Phase I, II, and III Environmental Site Assessments
- Environmental, ecological, and human health risk assessment
- Bioremediation design and operation
- Site remediation design, costing, and execution
- Waste discharge authorizations and permits
- Audits and liability assessments
Reclamation & Habitat Restoration:
- Reclamation and revegetation planning, implementation, and monitoring
- Wetland and marine habitat assessments, offsetting, and monitoring
- Vegetation management and noxious weed control
- Mine reclamation and closure planning
Forestry:
- Timber development including cutting permit application and site plans
- Access road reconnaissance, design, permitting, construction, and deactivation
- Forest health, species at risk, and visual impact assessments
- Forestry stewardship planning and landscape reserve design
- Riparian assessments and stream classification
Geomatics:
- Web, GIS, and CAD mapping
- Spatial analysis and 2D/3D data capture modelling and analysis
- Slope profile capture and analysis
- Third party data acquisition, management, and analysis
Capacity Building & Community Engagement:
- Client support for training and auditing of on-site staff for environmental operations and compliance
- Design, support, and delivery of First Nations and community engagement
- Curriculum development and delivery for environmental sampling, monitoring, and management
Contact
Trevor McConkey | General Manager
Gitxaała Forestry
We are committed to creating sustainable employment and community advancement through environmentally responsible harvesting.
Who We Are
GITXAAŁA FORESTRY is a forest licensee operating three forest licenses in the Great Bear Rainforest Timber Supply Area. With over 150,000 cubic metres of allowable annual cut, we are well situated to serve the needs to the global wood products industry.
What We Do
Civil Construction:
- Road Construction
- Lease Construction
- Bridge Installation
Forestry Management:
- Full Phase Timber Harvesting and Delivery
- Forest License Management
- Environmental Management
Contract Management:
- Quality Control
- Cost Estimates
- Contract Scheduling
Notice of Forest Operations Map
Learn more about the proposed blocks in the Forest Operations Map (FOM).
The FOM shows the approximate location of proposed cutblock(s) and/or road(s) as they are planned to be submitted in future cutting permit and/or road permit application(s) during the three years that the FOM is valid.
Tyee Building Supplies LP
TYEE BUILDING SUPPLIES IS COMMITTED TO GROWING WITH PRINCE RUPERT AND THE NORTH COAST AS IT MOVED INTO THE FUTURE.
Who We Are
Tyee Building Supplies LP. is locally owned by the Gitxaała Nation and operates the Rona home building centre. It is located in Cow Bay, in Prince Rupert providing building supplies and other services to communities along BC’s North and Central Coast.
Tyee Building Supplies staff’s ability to work together as a team and continuously learn and improve is directly related to the store’s success. It’s the people that make a business a success, and Tyee is very fortunate to have a professional staff, with a solid mix of retail and contractor backgrounds that provide a very knowledgeable and diversified team.
What We Do
Contact
Sharon Rothwell | General Manager
Saltwater Bakery and Provisions
SALTWATER BAKERY + PROVISIONS IS LOCATED IN THE HEART OF THE COW BAY TOURISM AREA OF PRINCE RUPERT. WE OFFER A WIDE ARRAY OF NATURAL HEARTH BAKED BREADS, SIGNATURE PIES, AND PASTRIES.
Who We Are
Located in beautiful Cow Bay, Saltwater Bakery and Provisions is a place to come together. The bakery offers an array of artisanal breads, sweet and savoury pastries, and signature desserts as well as homemade ice cream and a selection of local products from across Northern BC.
Saltwater is the essence of life on the North Coast and symbolizes two of the essential three ingredients in traditional bread making – grain, water, and salt – brought to life by natural fermentation through the skilled hands of the craft baker. Saltwater Bakery’s open concept bakeshop is a perfect place to linger and watch the bakers work their craft while enjoying the tastes and aromas of a fresh new bakery experience.
The Saltwater Bakery + Provisions is excited to introduce Head Baker Holger Kloppmann. Holger comes to Prince Rupert and Saltwater Bakery with a wealth of experience, he originally trained in Germany and has brought his skills to bakeries of all sizes across Germany, Hawaii, the BC Interior, and Vancouver Island.
“My specialties are rye breads, sourdough, and croissants and puff pastries with different fillings. We will do a range of staple breads and pastries, and also things for special occasions like Christmas Stollen or desserts with seasonal fruit. We are looking forward to incorporating locally produce and foraged ingredients, like haskap berries and spruce tips, into traditional favourites.”
– Holger Kloppmann, Saltwater Bakery and Provisions Head Baker
“The name, Saltwater Bakery, is connected not only to the ingredients that will be used in the bread but also reflects the strong bond that the Gitxaała Nation has to the ocean. Gitxaała Nation, is also known as ‘Git Lax Moon’ which translates to ‘People of the Saltwater’. We are very thrilled to have the Saltwater Bakery +Provisions opening in Cowbay and feel that it will be complimentary to the businesses in the area, we are very excited to offer an array of baked goods and homemade ice-creams.”
– Michael Uehara, CEO Gitxaała Enterprises Corporation
Contact
Nicole Gorden | General Manager
The Crest Hotel
The Crest Hotel is locally owned by Gitxaała Nation, through Gitxaała Enterprises Corporation.
Who We Are
For over 60 years The Crest Hotel has been a leader in the hospitality industry, offering a level of service like no other and continues to offer the same level of service today. The Crest Hotel is in the Heart of Prince Rupert overlooking the beautiful harbour.
What We Offer
Hotel:
- Four-star Canada Select property rating.
- 108 guest rooms with mountain and harbour view options
- Hot tub
- Guest Gym
Dining Options:
- Waterfront Restaurant
- Charley’s Lounge
- The Crest Café
Quotes
Contact
Christopher Colussi | General Manager
