Community

LIL’WAT

We are proud to be in partnership with the Lil’wat Nation. As Sea to Sky Soils resides on the Traditional Territory, we are committed to the Lil’wat community and have been working in collaboration for 10 years, focusing on environmental stewardship and the long-term sustainability of our regions.

We choose to employ the majority of our staff from the First Nation. A condition Lil’wat Business Group (LBG) put in place was that Sea to Sky Soils onsite workforce to be two-thirds Lil’wat. Today there are six community members working full-time, and another three working part-time, processing compost into high-quality topsoil.

Being a company in the renewable natural resource industry – we recognize the unique connections First Nations have to the land, water and natural resources. We’ve learned building strong, trusting relationships with communities such as Lil’wat are extremely important to the well being of the land and environment.

"Partnerships [like this] can create employment opportunities for Lil'wat Nation citizens while supporting important Lil'wat values, such as Kúl̓tsam̓ (Take what you need), which in the broadest terms is about sustainability,” said Lil'wat Business Group's CEO, Kerry Mehaffey. 

“We are proud of this project, the positive effect it has on our economy, and what it has meant regarding employment and what it can give in the future.” - Lil'wat Business Group's CEO, Kerry Mehaffey.

COMMUNITY

Sea to Sky Soils recognizes the need for integration and collaboration with the community and are proud to boast a decade of local engagement. We strive to support our host communities and the wider region by providing a valuable and essential service and supply important products that are not otherwise available in the area. For example, the local farmers in the area have limited options when sourcing organic soil amendments and we are proud to be able to supply a locally made organic product made from locally sourced material. This is a truly closed loop.

With good soil comes good food – healthy soils are necessary to ensure long term food security in the region. Sea to Sky Soils improves local food security by providing discounted organic soil prices to regional farmers and we work hard to provide education to the area’s youth regarding composting, food production, and waste management via site tours and outreach.

Additionally, the stable and high quality biosolid compost manufactured by SSS provides the area with access to a locally made, affordable and high quality growing medium, which is used locally by gardeners, landscapers, contractors, and developers for a variety of applications. To support these local environmental and social goals, SSS has made many donations to community organizations, schools, non-profits, and recently front-line workers during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Sea to Sky Soils has also donated to community programs, societies, groups, and worthy individuals.

Sea to Sky Soils 2020 Donations:

First Responders Soil Donation – soil for individual first responders to show appreciation during the COVID19 pandemic.

L’Ecole la Vallee Donation - 10 yards of soil for gardening at home program for students.

Lil’wat Community Donation - soil amendments for members of the community to use in their personal gardens.

Lil’wat Elders Donation - soil for community elders for use in their gardens.

Lil’wat Farm Donation - compost to the Lil’wat farm, which was growing produce for the community.

Nature Conservancy of Canada Cash donation - acquisition of a new conservation area in Pemberton.

North Vancouver Community Donation - compost for use in the community garden plots around North Vancouver.

Nurture in Nature Donation - compost for educational / food security / food production.

Pemberton Lions Club Donation - soil for use in garden to support food security for seniors.

Pemberton Rotary Club Donation - soil for use in new raised bed gardens at Signal Hill Primary School for education and food production.

Squamish CAN Donation - soil for program encouraging people to start gardening at.

Squamish Nation Donation - compost for Squamish Nation food production garden.

Whistler AWARE Donation - compost for community garden plots.

Sea to Sky Soils is proud to all be the proud recipient of:

 Whistler Chamber of Commerce - Sustainability Award

During the Spring of 2021, with COVID protocols in place, our regional school group educational tours resumed with the touring of over 120 students from the Xet̓ólacw Community School in Mount Currie on the importance of diverting organic waste from the landfill and the downstream benefits associated. This has been very successful over the years as the youth are very aware and sensitive to climate change and also are demanding that as a society we are taking action.