Everybody welcome’ at restoration society’s open house to explore possibilities of ‘working together’

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The head of a First Nations restoration non-profit is enthusiastic about spreading the word about its “history and culture” as it prepares for an open house in September.

Angela D’Amato van den Hout is the chief executive officer of the Blueberry River Restoration Society (BRRS).

The BRRS is a collaborative effort between the provincial government and representatives of Blueberry River First Nations (BRFN).

The organization has offices in Fort St. John and on the territory of BRFN. It recently finished a call for proposals for restoration projects on the territory.

It was formed in 2023, after the 2021 Supreme Court ruling determining the province had violated BRFN’s Treaty 8 rights by failing to account for the impact of cumulative development on cultural practices.

D’Amato van den Hout said the branding for a new BRRS logo began being planned in the spring. The open house is scheduled for September 19th.

“It’s been time for an open house since our office [in Fort St. John] was established in the late spring,” said D’Amato van den Hout. “It seemed appropriate, since so much work went into the branding.”

The branding for the BRRS logo will be unveiled internally soon, with a grand unveiling to the public during the open house.

Indigenous Marketing Solutions, a First Nations-owned firm from Vancouver Island, assisted with overseeing the logo’s design.

“[The branding] is extremely reflective of some of the history and stories that we’ve heard about,” explained D’Amato van den Hout. “It incorporates aspects of [BRFN’s] history that are very important and foundational to their culture.”

The open house will be a free drop-in event, with a video montage of history and about BRRS’ current restorative efforts, at the Fort St. John offices located at 11421 Alaska Road South.

“Everybody is welcome just to learn more about the work that we’re doing here. It’s an opportunity to look forward on how to work together,” said D’Amato van den Hout. “It’s an opportunity to showcase partnership opportunities moving forward.

“We all have a story, but this is such an opportunity to look forward, and that’s what we want people to learn.”

The BRRS open house takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on September 19th.  More details about the society are available on its website.