The Nisga鈥檃 village of Gitwinksihlkw is suing modular-building producer Westcoast Outbuildings Inc. CEO Geoff Baker and CFO Laura-Lee Normandeau, claiming the community was 鈥渄evastated鈥� after allegedly being strung along for months about a planned tourist centre that the company failed to produce.
The village, 100 kilometres northwest of Terrace, filed a notice of civil claim in sa国际传媒 Supreme Court on Aug. 6. According to the claim, the village鈥檚 name means 鈥減lace of lizards鈥� and comes from the 鈥淣isga鈥檃 oral tradition which states that large lizards lived in the village up until the last volcanic eruption occurred in Nisga鈥檃 territory, about 250 years ago.鈥�
鈥淭he eruption is said to have left vast lava beds throughout the Gitwinksihlkw and led to the creation of Nisga鈥檃 Memorial Lava Bed Park, a popular destination and tourist attraction with 16-site campground and visitor centre displaying Nisga鈥檃 artifacts,鈥� the claim states. 鈥淚n recent years, NVG has been taking steps to develop and invest in the hospitality industry in Gitwinksihlkw. Developing these industries is particularly important to [us] as the community struggles with a number of economic and social issues, including significant overcrowding in village members鈥� homes.鈥�
As part of the village鈥檚 official community plan, the Nisga鈥檃 envisioned a tourist centre called 鈥淭he Welcome House,鈥� which was to include a 20-seat caf茅 and a gift shop to 鈥渟erve as the hub for residents, travellers and visitors to the Nass Valley.鈥� The Welcome House was to be the Nass Valley鈥檚 only Indigenous-owned-and-operated restaurant business and a local had already signed on to operate it, the lawsuit says. The village also received more than $500,000 in grants to fund construction.
When the village inked design and production agreements with Westcoast Outbuildings for the modular structure, the company allegedly represented it was able to complete the project in time for National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21.
But in February, the company allegedly changed its tune and claimed the project needed 鈥渟ignificant changes鈥� when Baker discovered design defects after the original project manager left the company. Months later, the company told the Nisga鈥檃 that costs for The Welcome House had ballooned despite a fixed-fee contract for production of the building. On July 16, Baker allegedly admitted the business was failing and its workforce was gone, and that the Nisga鈥檃 production payments and deposit had been used to fund the company鈥檚 expenses and unrelated projects.
Gitwinksihlkw seeks damages for fraudulent misrepresentation and breach of contract.
