West Fraser’s operations provide significant economic activity and prosperity in each community where we operate. We work with hundreds of contractor businesses to achieve mutual benefits that make our forest-dependent communities strong. Many of our relationships with contractors in western Canada and the U.S. south have lasted decades.
A contractor that has a special relationship with West Fraser is the Fox Creek Development Association in Alberta. For over 45 years, we have worked with Fox Creek to take care of 20 campsites and 8 trails for public recreational use - a contract that is unique to West Fraser. Fox Creek is an Indigenous-owned, not-for-profit company that provides permanent and seasonal employment in the Hinton area. Our Hinton Wood Products mill helped start Fox Creek in the 1970s and has been working with them ever since.
The recreation areas Fox Creek are responsible for are a part of our forest management areas in Hinton and Edson, with two of the 20 campsites being solely owned by West Fraser. The remaining 18 are owned by the government of Alberta. Fox Creek is contracted by us to take care of the service, booking and maintenance of these areas on our behalf.
For West Fraser, a “working forest” means a lot more than an area to harvest, it is also carefully planned to incorporate tourism, sport, regeneration of forests, wildlife and other types of recreation and activities, like camping. Fox Creek does an excellent job to assist us in achieving multiple objectives such as:
- Recreation
- Independent business
- Forestry activity
- Wildlife habitat
Today, West Fraser isn’t Fox Creek’s only customer. The company has expanded its contracts and now works with other natural resource companies in the area, providing a wide-range of services such as brush cutting and road maintenance.
If you plan to go to one of the West Fraser managed campsites for your next vacation, we recommend the Gregg Cabin Recreation Area. It is one of our most popular campsites and one that West Fraser owns. Gregg Cabin is in the southern portion of our Hinton forest management area near Jasper National Park. You can read more about Gregg Cabin as well as check out the other campsites and recreational trails on the recreation section of West Fraser’s website.