"We have been fortunate to be involved in a project that will make such a difference to the Village of Kluskus," says Freda Leong, Manager of First Nations Infrastructure. "Associated Engineering has been actively engaged since 2015, when we first started looking at alternate drinking water sources. In that time, we evaluated lakes, creeks, and groundwater wells. We eventually settled on two wells close to the Village with much better water quality."

Freda explains, "The best thing about this project was that we adopted a community circle approach that was developed by Res'eau CMI and supported by the Village and Indigenous Services Canada. The community has been involved since the project began. We have lots of face time and the relationships we have built are only stronger. We trust the community to be honest and they trust us to have their best interest in mind. We wanted to ensure that we invested ourselves in Action 92 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 94 Calls to Action. It is time for us to all commit to walking the talk.”

It's definitely a partnership and I think that is the real success of this project

"We have shared more than just project work, we have shared stories and history. We have shared laughter and we have learned a lot more about the Lhoosk'uz Dene Nation."

For more information on this project, please see this recent article in the Quesnel Cariboo Observer.