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W
WHEN MINDY WIGHT was
first asked if she was interested
in the role of CFO at Nch'ḵay
Development Corporation—
the economic development
arm of the Squamish Nation—
her answer was practical. "Of
course, I said no," the now-CEO
says with a laugh. At the time,
she was already serving on the
Nch'ḵay board, and was also a
full-time partner at accounting
firm MNP. Despite the initial
MINDY WIGHT C E O, NCH'ḴAY D E V E L O P M E N T C O R P O R AT I O N
COMMUNIT Y BUILDER
hesitation, it was inarguable
that the CPA and Squamish
Nation member, with extensive
experience working with First
Nations governments across the
country as well as Indigenous
businesses and entrepreneurs,
would be an excellent fit. When
asked again, she couldn't help
thinking about one of Nch'ḵay
's fundamental values: "giving
back to the community wher-
ever, whenever and however
possible." This was, without any
doubt, a chance to give back.
Wight stepped into CFO role
in the fall of 2021, and just over
half a year later became interim
CEO. By fall 2022, she was all in,
and officially the CEO of Nch'ḵay
Development Corporation.
Today, Nch'ḵay is best known
for Sen áḵw, an 11-tower devel-
opment project (in partnership
with Westbank) at the south
end of Vancouver's Burrard
Street Bridge. Pre-settlers, the
site was an ancestral Squamish
Nation village—but the location
isn't the only thing that makes
Sen áḵw groundbreaking. Wight
explains that consultation with
the Squamish community has
been essential in every step of
the project. The construction
process is bound to an Indige-
nous Participation Plan, which
requires project partners and
subtrades to employ Squamish
people. The commercial spaces
in the Nch'ḵay towers will
involve preferential procure-
ment for Squamish-owned busi-
nesses. The physical project
itself is enormous, but its sig-
nificance in terms of reconcilia-
tion, Indigenous leadership and
community care is even greater.
"I'm really proud of how the
Squamish Nation has advanced
itself and has really solidified
itself as a leader in this space,"
says Wight.
When it comes to her own
leadership style, the CEO (who
also serves on the board of
Cedar Leaf Capital) says she
works collaboratively, trans-
parently and openly—"they're
the same values that Squa-
mish embodies in leadership,
and that's what we aspire to
do at Nch'ḵay as well." Wight
grew up off-reserve in Prince
George and feels her role at the
development corporation is
a bit of a homecoming. She's
dedicated to giving others that
same chance—not just for eco-
nomic growth, but also for
meaningful connection. "Just
like myself, there are other peo-
ple who may be able to come
back to the community through
the opportunities that Nch'ḵay
creates," she says.–A.H.
"I'm really proud
of how the
Squamish
Nation has
advanced
itself and has
really solidified
itself as a leader
in this space."
