Client Profile for Cold Lake First Nations

Certes is a resource consulting company based in Kamloops that operates in Western Canada. We boast a combined experience of over 100 years in engineering, information management, and forestry. We have served a wide array of customers in both the public and private sector, including the Cold Lake First Nations in Cold Lake, Alberta. We were grateful to work with them to provide community planning services in the form of a land use plan.

The Cold Lake First Nations (CLFN) is a 2500 member community with many of its members living in the area. Many members of the community uphold the traditional ways of living and through activities like hunting, fishing, berry, picking and more. They strive to protect the people and traditional values through maintaining access to their lands. This effort includes awareness and training of community members. They are a Dene Nation located about 300 kilometers northeast of Edmonton. It was a privilege to work with them providing land use planning services.

Some key points of the service include:

1 - Planning land use and how all the area will be used in the future.*
2 - Develop maps to identify current and potential future land.
3 - Defining goals and objectives of the community based on geography.

*Keeping environmental constraints in mind.

Overview of Land Use Planning for Cold Lake First Nations

Our objective in developing a land use plan for the CLFN was fairly simple. The land had to be planned in a manner that it could be used effectively for decades. We studied immediate and possible needs of the community, then our exceptional staff used their experience in the field of land use planning, forestry and engineering to progress towards a successful project.

By following rigorous project methodology, the land was divided into many parts. Each part ensured the development of Cold Lake First Nations as an active community in the country. With a proactive approach, the project was completed ensuring the safety and development of this First Nation’s resources and land.

To ensure the success of the project, we added many interactive community sessions during the planning process. Included in that was drafting a Land Use Plan which was easy to understand for all who might read it. We understood that the document would be used as a tool to track the performance of the community and how well the land was used in the past. With this document, community leaders and members can easily track resource use and plan areas of improvement.

We enjoyed our time working closely with the Cold Lake First Nations' staff. We look forward to every opportunity to work with them. We have continued to be involved by helping them work according to the documents and maps we provided.