We are passionate about Aboriginal ecotourism and recognize that it presents real opportunities for the Aboriginal communities who can develop quality products to meet specific market demands. We are excited about the potential that Aboriginal ecotourism has to help develop the local community economy in a manner which is supportive of the natural environment and helpful to the revitalization of languages and culture.

• Cree Village Ecolodge

  
  
  
  July 15, 2000 was opening day of the award winning Cree Village Ecolodge on Moose Factory Island located on James Bay, Ontario. Since that time, the lodge has been receiving guests in the twenty guest rooms, and serving clientele in the dramatic sixty seat Shabatwon dining room overlooking the Moose River. The lodge is more than an economic development project; it is a source of great community pride.
  
  MacLeod Farley & Associates played a comprehensive role in concept development, planning, financing, constructing, launching and most recently reviewing the operations of the ecolodge.
  
  Cree Village Ecolodge is listed as one of the Top Ten Eco-Destinations in North America and was the winner of the 2005 Tourism Industry Association of Canada / Air Canada Business of the Year Award.

• Washow Lodge

  
  
  
  Washow Lodge is designed to be a world-class, Aboriginal ecotourism wilderness destination located on Hannah Bay, 60 km east of Moosonee, Ontario
  
  The 8,000 sq.ft. main facility has been constructed using a traditional Cree vertical log building technique using locally harvested logs. Guests will stay in the 12 room main lodge and experience a variety of program activities aimed at giving them hands-on learning experiences regarding Cree culture.
  
  MacLeod Farley & Associates has been involved in business planning and financing for this exciting new project, and assisting to plan and develop energy efficient operations and environmental systems for power supply, water supply and waste treatment.

At MacLeod Farley & Associates, Community Economic Development (CED) is the foundation of all our work.
We work closely with the community to ensure project success through consultation, research, planning, financing, construction and implementation.

• Flying Together

  
  
  
  Flying Together was a strategic planning project involving 11 communities and three regional organizations in James Bay, Ontario.
  
  Working with each community, we arranged public workshops to discuss issues and development priorities in the community as the basis for detailed strategic plans. The project led to economic and human resource development plans for each participating community as well as matching regional plans building on the common needs.

• Moose Cree First Nation

  
  
  
  In the spring of 2010, our firm was asked by Moose Cree First Nation to help secure funding for important work on community governance.
  
  We worked closely with the community leaders and generated proposals for two related projects: a Governance Needs Assessment project and a Governance Training and Policy Development project. Both submissions were approved in full for a total of $98,520 in funding. MacLeod Farley & Associates then worked with Patterson Creek Consulting to implement these two important projects.

• Far North Emergency Preparedness & Response Centre

  
  
  
  The Far North Emergency Preparedness & Response (EPR) Centre is an important new community facility. Like many northern communities, Moose Factory, Ontario had inadequate emergency services facilities.
  
  Our firm worked with the community to develop the concept, strategic planning, financing and business planning for the $6 million EPR centre. The 25,000 sq.ft. centre is now home to the local fire, ambulance and police services as well as search and rescue and a proposed Institute of Far North EPR Training and Development.

MacLeod Farley & Associates is keenly interested in assisting communities to develop their cultural and heritage resources as an important part of their community development efforts. We believe that preserving and enhancing the culture and heritage of a community is integral to the well being and wealth of its residents. MacLeod Farley & Associates offers planning and development services which emphasize facilitation, stakeholder participation and consensus building, and which honor and respect the core values of each specific community.

• Historic Cobalt

  
  
  
  Our firm played a lead role in project development and financing for the Historic Cobalt initiative which celebrates the Town of Cobalt's rich Silver Mining Heritage and their National Historic Site.
  
  The original challenge lay in developing a plan which would be achievable for the 1,500 residents who still live in this small, northern Ontario community. Our consulting role included concept development planning, proposal writing and financing, organizational development, conflict resolution and construction project management support. MacLeod Farley & Associates secured $4 million for this project. We also assisted with business plans and funding for the Classic Theatre Cobalt and the Cobalt Mining Museum.

• Tom Thomson Art Gallery

  
  
  
  From 2006 through July 2009, Pauline MacLeod Farley undertook a governance capacity building role with the Tom Thomson Art Gallery in Owen Sound.
  
  As Manager of Development, she oversaw a re-organization of the gallery’s financial reporting systems, committee structure, fundraising program, human resources planning, a major re-branding effort and marketing planning and implementation.

• Yukon Business Development Program

  
  
  
  In 2008, Rick MacLeod Farley was retained by the Yukon Business Development Program as an expert advisor to assist Klondike Kate's Cabins & Restaurants with the development of new eco-tourism programs and partnerships with local First Nations.
  
  Klondike Kate's Cabins & Restaurant is a privately owned, award winning accommodation facility located in the historic gold rush town of Dawson City, Yukon. The owners were interested in expanding their existing successful business into the soft eco-tourism sector by offering travelers the opportunity to explore the Klondike region's unique natural beauty, while gaining hands on experience with First Nation culture. Joint planning and bridge building sessions were held with the owners and local stakeholders and together, they jointly developed new packages which would appeal to the ecotourism market, in particular to Europeans. Since that time, Klondike Kate's have been working on implementing Rick's recommendations. They developed a 3 night/ 4 day package that showcases the local culture of the Tr'ondek Hwech'in First Nation, and the pristine wilderness of the Yukon. They have shown a new dedication to protecting the environment by initiating a "Green Campaign" and forming a partnership with the Solid Waste Management Committee to aid in reducing garbage and improve recycling and composting for their business; they have also changed the amenities in the cabins to eco-friendly products, including bedding, mattresses, and towels.

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Our firm is often asked to assist communities with youth projects, and this is an area of special interest for us. In 1984, Rick MacLeod Farley was a youth participant on a Canada World Youth exchange program between Bolivia and Canada. This was a transformational experience for him, and provides him with a lasting unique vantage point for youth project development.

For our Aboriginal client communities in particular, we realize that your youth today face myriad challenges including social, cultural, economic and political pressures. High rate of youth suicide are endemic in many communities, and positive options need to be created to help reach youth and to offer hope and engagement in creating their own futures.

• Moosonee Native Friendship Centre

  
  
  
  MacLeod Farley & Associates worked with the Moosonee Native Friendship Centre to obtain $500,000 in funding to offer much needed Youth Services in the Town of Moosonee, Ontario over a two year implementation period. The project provided a healthy environment and support for youth to gather for recreational, sports, social, and cultural activities. It also provided youth with support in the areas of education, employment training and personal development, and promoted healthy lifestyles. Part of the project involved creating a Youth Council to engage the youth, encourage increased community support for the youth and their chosen endeavours, and to provide experience and training opportunities for Youth Council members and staff.

• John R. Delaney Youth Centre

  
  
  
  MacLeod Farley & Associates is proud to have been involved in the development of the John R. Delaney Youth Centre in Moose Factory.
  
  The 7,200 sq.ft. centre developed and owned by Moose Cree First Nation focuses on providing youth with a positive environment that emphasizes respect, acceptance, safety and health. The centre focuses on Cree culture & arts, leadership development and youth entrepreneurship.
  
  This $3.9 million facility was constructed on-time and on-budget with a Grand Opening in the summer of 2009.

We see housing as an integral part of community development. With sub-standard housing, people lack a solid foundation in their lives, with their families and with their community. With appropriate housing, people have a much greater chance of developing to their full potential for everyone's benefit. Children and youth growing up in a healthy house enjoy tremendous advantages.

When asked to assist with housing development, we build on our expertise and process skills from our past work on community development. We assist in developing housing projects that are ambitious, and we help determine how to make them viable. We also blend in our knowledge of environmentally appropriate building design, and recommend the use of energy-efficient techniques, equipment and building materials that are healthy for the environment and for the occupants.

• Moose Cree Housing for New Construction & Retrofits

  
  
  
  In 2009, our firm was hired to prepare funding applications for Moose Cree Housing for New Construction and Retrofits. We assisted the community to develop proposals to Canada's Economic Action Plan through two departments; Indian Affairs (INAC) and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). These submissions were successful in securing $955,000 in funding which led to the construction of 12 new units as well as an extensive program of retrofits and renovations to existing INAC and CMHC units.

• First Nation Market Housing Fund

  
  
  
  Our firm was hired by Moose Cree First Nation to develop an application for housing to the First Nation Market Housing Fund.
  
  On June 21, 2010, our submission was approved in full for up to $18,875,000. In addition to the community members gaining access to market-based loans for mortgages, the community will also be benefiting from a significant additional package of support with funding for capacity building and training for the First Nation housing staff and the finance department.