Sturgeon Lake factory will produce chopsticks for Japanese markets

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"If everything falls into place with the funding agency, our first chopsticks made from the best wood will be heading for Japan very soon," commented Sturgeon Lake Band Counsellor Keith Goodswimmer at a recent interview with "Windspeaker".

Negotiations have been taking place between representatives from the Sturgeon Lake Band, located 20 km west of Valleyview, and the Japanese for months now, and a trip to Japan has been planned for further negotiations.

Chief Francis Goodswimmer sees this as a very good opportunity, economically, and although some people may only humor the idea about making "chopsticks" for the Japanese business, it is a viable market and, Goodswimmer believes, it is a market that will also create many job opportunities.

Under the title "Cree Valley Industries", the Chopstick Project hopes to have an answer from its funding sources within the next 10 months. Sturgeon Lake, to prove its good intentions and credibility to the Japanese, is planning to sink $575,000 into the initial investment, and to extend their line of credit.

"We want to prove our credibility to the people in Japan," says Keith Goodswimmer.

Keith added that it is a partnership deal with a Korean businessman, Jay Ahn, but the Band will own 51 per cent of the shares while Ahn will hold the other 49%.

"His basic involvement is expertise in this sort of business and the contact of the Japanese market, which he has already done. It's a go, and we are just in the process of establishing passports to make the trip to Japan, probably in a week."

The Sturgeon Lake Band will provide 100% capital, which also includes the construction of the chopstick factory. The factory will be built on the reserve and it is estimated that over 100 jobs will be created immediately after the "go ahead" is given.

"We will be running two shifts so we will be employing a good number of people," said Keith Goodswimmer.

Asked if it will help to change the economy in the Valleyview-Sturgeon Lake area, Goodswimmer says the overall picture shows that a high percentage of capital will be pumped back into the local economy "and when I say that, I mean into the Valleyview economy, in many ways, including what band members spend at Valleyview."

It is the band's intent to use logs on the reserve, but later they will be venturing into the surrounding areas of Sturgeon Lake for their wood.

"We have already talked with Forestry Service, and they have indicated that there is room to move into these surrounding areas for timer berths," said Goodswimmer.

The total cost for such a project is estimated by the band at around $2.5 million.

The band sees this opportunity as a sound economic move that will create work in the factory, logging, skidders and transportation business.

Among all that, what is the band prepared to offer the chopstick market in Japan?

According to Keith Goodswimmer, the band is offering the best chopsticks made from the best hardwood (aspen) in Alberta.