Who We Are
The North Island Community Forest is a Limited Partnership with three Shareholders who are the current owners of this business;
The Village of Port Alice, The District of Port Hardy and the Town of Port McNeill.
The mayors of the three communities act as the Shareholder Representatives and are chosen by their constituents in municipal elections every four years. The Shareholders appoint a Board of Directors to operate the business.
The business is run by a Board of Directors who are appointed at an annual general meeting of Shareholders. The Board consists of seven Directors, each appointed for a three-year term. The Board of Directors contracts a part-time manager to undertake the day-to-day operations of the business.
Board of Directors
Daniel Gachter
Daniel was born and raised in Switzerland where he completed his forestry training and higher education before moving to the North Island with his wife Liz in 1995.
Daniel worked between Holberg, Winter Harbour and Port Hardy as an engineer, foreman and manager, and is now self-employed in the local forest industry. Since 1997 Daniel and his family have been living in Hyde Creek.
Dayne Roland
Dayne grew up on the North Island. He logged for several years after graduating high school. After attending BCIT’s survey program he surveyed for a local land surveyor for 15 years. Dayne returned to the forest industry as a scaler and then quality control supervisor until his retirement in 2018. He follows his passion for woodworking now building cabinets and furniture.
Ione Brown, RPF
Ione joined the North Island Community Forest LP Board of Directors in January 2010. Ione comes to the Board with many years of experience in the forest industry, ranging from government to industry to consulting. Ione travelled around the province for work in her early career and settled in Port Hardy in 1999. She enjoys the North Island outdoor lifestyle and close knit and supportive community. Ione currently works as an independent Resource Management Consultant basing her operations out of her home office. Her wish is to see the NICF LP expand to provide benefits and resources for everyone on the North Island. Local control over local resources for local communities!
Mike Green, RFT
Mike was born in ‘Namgis Territory on Northern Vancouver Island and lives with his family in Hyde Creek. He has worked in many diverse roles in the BC Forest Industry in operations, planning, and management over the last 30 years, mostly in Kwakwaka’wakw Territories. Mike received a Bachelor of Science at the University of Victoria and is committed to healthy ecosystems and a sustainable economy in the North Island. He is a board member for the Mount Cain Alpine Park Society and is passionate about outdoor activities; especially skiing, mountain biking, and hiking.
Dave Weymer
Dave, (Dazy) came to Port Hardy in 1968 as a young logger. He’s still here, a little older, and still logging, albeit on a reduced scale. Dazy worked in all aspects of forest harvesting, first as a worker and then for many years as a supervisor. He now has a consulting business doing relief supervision, training, logging safety course development, and danger tree falling. A primary focus for Dazy has been forest worker safety and education. He was an instructor with Vancouver Island University, teaching their logging fundamentals course. He has sat on the BC Forest Safety Council (BCFSC) Board of Directors, and continues his involvement with BCFSC on several committees. Dazy’s North Island community involvement has included stints on the Port Hardy Advisory Planning Committee, the Port Hardy Fire Department, and the Mt. Cain Board of Directors. He’s been a director of the NICFLP since January 2019.
Tim Chester, RFT. Retired
Tim has worked and lived on the North Island for over 30 years. Most of his career was spent working for the Forest Service in many aspects of forestry. He raised his family here and is passionate about the future of the North Island. Being a Director for the North Island Community Forest gives him the opportunity to work with all North Island partners to deliver benefits to all the people that live, work and play here.
Alma Vant Schip
Alma is a long time Port Alice resident and business owner. She brings a strong background in the forest industry to the Board. She has extensive knowledge of road building, maintenance and deactivation and has been involved in many complex rehabilitation projects on Vancouver Island and the mainland, bringing together her practical machine knowledge with that of fish habitat. Alma is very involved in her community, spending time with family and friends and boating around Quatsino Sound with her husband.
NICF Manager - Meg Bose, RFT
Meg moved to the North Island in 2016 after completing her forestry education at BCIT. A young forest professional, she works as a consultant around the north island and BC coast. Meg specializes in full phase block development and planning. She has a keen interest in small scale forest tenures and the opportunities they provide for a holistic approach to forest management. She sees the NICF as an excellent opportunity to ensure local communities have a voice in resource management and continue to benefit from the forest industry in their region. An avid explorer, she enjoys discovering the endless beauty around the north island.
Shareholders
Mayor Furney
Port McNeill
“I am very proud of the history of our forest industry on the North Island. A properly managed forest is magnificently sustainable and a perpetual source of economic wealth which pays for our health, welfare, education, social and transportation requirements. It is the backbone of our economy, our recreation, and much of our culture. “
Mayor Corbett – Labatt
Port Hardy
“Our community forest is not profit concentric, but is community concentric. The District of Port Hardy is proud to be a stakeholder in the NICF which brings the decision making around this amazing asset back to the stakeholders. The District of Port Hardy uses any profit received in Recreation – which is a very integral and an important social support of our community.”
Mayor Cameron
Port Alice
“We as a community are very fortunate to be a shareholder in NICF. Though our volumes of AAC are very small, we as a community realize change of custody from stump to dump. Monies generated from these endeavors go right back into our communities. My hope going forward with new fiber policies that our community forest will be recognized by this government as a way to conduct business for the betterment of our community. Without these monies generated, a financial loss would be felt in Port Alice.”