Restoration Society unveils re-branded name at open house

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The former Blueberry River Restoration Society changed its name to reflect its mission during an open house last week in Fort St. John.

The society will now be known as Nan Wúújǫ Anawúúdle Restoration Society (NWARS), which is a phrase in the Beaver language translating to “good land again.”

It is pronounced “nan wu-joe ana wood-lei”, and can be heard on NWARS’s website.

The open house was described as “a success” by NWARS chief executive officer Angela D’Amato van den Hout.

She told Energeticcity.ca approximately 100 people took part in the event, which included Fort St. John mayor Lilia Hansen and both Peace River Regional District board chair Leonard Hiebert and Area C director Brad Sperling.

D’Amato van den Hout said representatives for MLA Jordan Kealy and several community and provincial ministries were also on hand alongside departments from Blueberry River First Nations (BRFN).

“The main event involved the unveiling of the society’s new branding,” wrote D’Amato van den Hout in a statement. “[It] better reflects who we are, what we do and who we serve.”

The branding change  “expresses a powerful vision – one of restoration and renewal, where land, water and people are healthy and in harmony,” according to the NWARS’s website.

The NWARS was founded in relation to the Implementation Agreement signed in 2023 by BRFN and the provincial government. The board consists of appointees nominated by the First Nation and ones nominated by the province.

NWARS’s mission was to “impact reciprocal restoration projects” healing land, water and culture, restoring wellbeing to the community.

The open house took place on Friday, September 19th at the organization’s offices in Fort St. John. 

More details about NWARS and its mission is available on its website.