Rooted in the Land, Growing for the Future
From This Land, We Grow
Shackan is a Nlaka’pamux Nation with deep roots in the Nicola Valley. As Scw’exmx, the People of the Creeks, our connection to the land has shaped who we are for generations.
Shackan Nursery is part of building what comes next.
Our 100% Indigenous-owned nursery grows native plants for restoration and reclamation across British Columbia, while expanding local food production and strengthening food sovereignty at home.
Through the nursery, we are creating employment, building skills, restoring landscapes and growing new economic opportunities for our community.
We are growing more than plants. We are growing a stronger future from the land beneath our feet.
It Started With Restoration
The nursery has been part of Shackan for decades. It was originally established through a partnership between Shackan and the Nicola Tribal Association, with native plant propagation and watershed restoration at the centre of its work.
Regional native species were collected and grown to stabilize soil, rebuild habitat, protect waterways and return vegetation to disturbed landscapes.
The work reflected a principle that continues to guide Shackan:
Take care of the land that takes care of us.
Fire. Then Water.
In 2021, the Lytton Creek wildfire burned across the Nicola Valley, affecting tens of thousands of hectares and threatening communities throughout the region.
Only months later, an atmospheric river caused the Nicola River to rise rapidly. Homes, farmland, roads, bridges and infrastructure were damaged or destroyed. Large sections of Highway 8 disappeared, and Shackan was evacuated.
The effects remain visible today.
For decades, Shackan had operated a nursery dedicated to helping damaged landscapes recover. Suddenly, that need was at our doorstep.
The purpose of the nursery had never been more relevant.
Growing The Recovery
Fire and flood can transform a landscape in hours. Restoring it can take years.
Shackan Nursery grows native grasses, shrubs and trees that help stabilize soil, restore riverbanks, rebuild habitat and re-establish forests and watersheds.
What happened in the Nicola Valley reinforced the importance of having the plants and growing capacity ready when communities need them.
Today, we are expanding that capacity to support restoration and reclamation projects across British Columbia, helping landscapes and communities recover from wildfire and flood.
Growing More of What We Need
Resilient landscapes matter. So do resilient communities.
In 2025, Shackan expanded food production as part of the Nation’s commitment to greater food sovereignty; is growing fresh food for Shackan members, the Merritt Food Bank and neighbouring First Nations.
It is a natural extension of what the nursery has always done.
A native plant returning to a damaged landscape and fresh food going to a local family may serve different purposes, but they begin in the same place:
Using the land and what we grow from it to build stronger communities.
Building Capacity for Tomorrow
Our ambitions require more than good intentions. They require the capacity to deliver.
Since 2025, Shackan has invested in greenhouse automation, expanded outdoor production, and introduced modern irrigation, water-treatment and precision-fertigation systems.
These investments allow us to grow more, improve consistency and prepare for larger restoration, reclamation and food-production projects.
We are combining experienced growers and knowledge of the land with modern production systems. Technology is not the objective.
Capability is.
Our goal is simple: healthy plants, consistent quality and reliable supply at the scale our customers need.
Built to Grow. Ready to Deliver.
Shackan Nursery is 100% owned by Shackan Indian Band.
We serve First Nations, environmental and restoration firms, forestry, mining, energy and infrastructure companies, contractors and governments across British Columbia.
Our customers need more than plants. They need the right plants, grown to specification, available when projects are ready.
That means planning ahead, producing consistently, meeting schedules and building relationships that last beyond a single project.
Our ambition is clear: to become a leading Indigenous supplier of native plants for restoration and reclamation across British Columbia.
And we are building the capacity to deliver.
A Business That Builds Community
Growing Shackan Nursery means creating more opportunities for members to work, build careers and build their lives here.
As production expands, so do opportunities in growing, seed collection, equipment, technology, project coordination, sales and business management.
These are jobs, but more importantly, they are skills and experience that remain in the community.
As a result, a restoration contract can accomplish more than restoring land. It can also support Indigenous employment, training and economic development.
Restore the land. Build opportunity. Strengthen community.
Building for Generations
Many of the plants leaving Shackan Nursery will still be growing long after the people who propagated them are gone.
A tree planted today may spend the next 50, 80 or 100 years holding soil, protecting water, creating habitat and becoming part of a forest.
We believe the investments we make today should create the same kind of lasting value.
Therefore, we are building an Indigenous-owned nursery that can restore landscapes, strengthen food sovereignty, create meaningful employment and return economic opportunity to the Nation that owns it.
Because we know where we come from, we also know what we want to leave behind::
Healthier land. Stronger communities. Greater opportunity.