As part of an environmental initiative, the Cheslatta Carrier Nation successfully removed 800 tonnes of scrap steel from the defunct Cheslatta Forest Products mill site in 亚洲天堂 Lake.

The clean-up, a collaborative effort between Cheslatta Contracting LP and Cheslatta Carrier Nation, received support from Rio Tinto and ABC Recycling.

The steel clean-up project, which began in October 2023 with initial planning for the removal of a tunnel boring machine (TBM) cutter head, swiftly expanded to address broader environmental concerns. This included clearing out scrap steel, outdated equipment, a bee-hive burner, non-operable marine equipment, and abandoned vehicles. Equipment crews were deployed in mid-June and completed the project by mid-July.

Talking about the beehive burner, which was a fixture in the community for a long time now, Chief Corrina Leween said it was time for it to go. 

鈥淎lthough it was a part of the community for a longtime the beehive burner had to go as it was unsafe and falling apart making it a danger to wildlife, cattle and people," Leween said.

"Environmentally we wanted to recycle what we could and clean the site up to be more in tuned to its original state,鈥� she added 

Cheslatta Forest Products Ltd. ceased operations in 2011 after initially shutting down its sawmill in October 2008. Although the planer mill operated sporadically until 2010, the site has been largely inactive since. At its peak, the mill employed 140 people.