Blueberry First Nations say native plant orchard to help restore B.C. industry sites

Chief Sherry Dominic of the Blueberry River First Nations, near Fort St. John, B.C., is shown in this handout photo during the unveiling of a new Indigenous-led commercial Native Plant Orchard on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout — Blueberry River First Nations (Mandatory Credit)

FORT ST. JOHN — A group of First Nations in British Columbia says a new native plant orchard could help reclaim and restore thousands of industrial sites around northeastern B.C.

The Blueberry First Nations near Fort St. John unveiled the orchard last week, and Chief Sherry Dominic says it will produce native plants for sale to industry partners in the oil-and-gas sector, as well as Indigenous communities.

The Blueberry First Nations say the garden eventually will have 1.7 million seedlings from a representative supply of grasses, shrubs, wildflowers and trees, to reflect various layers of a healthy forest system.

Dominic says the plantation grew out of an agreement that her First Nation signed with the province in 2023, after a court found in 2021 that British Columbia had infringed on local treaty rights due to decades of industrial development.

The First Nation says its territory has estimated 8,000 abandoned well sites, and fully restoring these sites will require about 850 million trees and native plants.

Dominic says restoration won’t happen overnight, but the launch of the orchard itself marks a milestone in the First Nation’s journey toward healing the land across their traditional territory.

A background document says about 80 per cent of the 40-hectare facility will be used to grow plants for sale, while the remaining area is reserved for the 500-plus nation members, where they can harvest their own supplies.

The chief says the facility will help her nation’s members exercise treaty rights like picking berries for medicinal purposes, while learning and sharing traditional knowledge.

This report by Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press, was first published July 20, 2026.