Shelley Stewart – Syilx, Upper Nicola Band

Shelley and her husband Rob run two companies and have 27 employees. The companies are SRS Trucking and Bar S Ventures. Shelley is the main logging contractor for Stuwix Resources Joint Venture, an SFI-certified company. Stuwix Resources’ General Manager, Lennard Joe, is also profiled here. Companies that are certified to SFI are committed to sustainably managing forests for future generations.

Shelley’s story is included in A Guide to Green Jobs in Canada: Voices of Indigenous Professionals.

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SHELLEY’S LOVE OF NATURE COMES FROM…

“Growing up on my family ranch in Douglas Lake, B.C., animals were a part of our daily lives. My family and I travelled for rodeos all over western Canada and the U.S. Horses have always connected me with the outdoors and my culture. They are so powerful, physically and spiritually. I recall going for drives in the mountains with my family, hunting with my dad and brothers and picking Saskatoon berries with my mom. I didn’t love the ants that crawled on the berry trees though!”

SHELLEY STARTED A BUSINESS IN THE FOREST SECTOR BECAUSE…

“My dad is a logger, and I was raised on timber dollars. When I was a young girl, I always wanted to be with my dad. I told him that someday I would buy a logging truck so that he and I could work together every day. When I was 19, I followed through on that dream! I am proud to say that Bar S Ventures uses all the fibre we harvest. This reduces wood waste and lessens our carbon footprint. “

TO SHELLEY, BEING INDIGENOUS IN A GREEN JOB  MEANS…

“I see myself as a mentor to young entrepreneurs and as an advocate for the forest industry. I’m so positive about the careers and opportunities in this sector. I’m also always willing to help others start their own business. I provide information on financing, youth programs, Indigenous business channels, etc. As an Indigenous female businesswoman in a male-dominated industry, I feel it’s my duty to carry the torch from time to time. That’s why I like to the shine a light on women and youth in this sector, and on the role and responsibility that Indigenous people have in forestry today.”