# Tla'amin Nation to Take Full Ownership of Western Forest Products' Stillwater Operation

> A $64 million federal loan guarantee lets Tla'amin Nation acquire Western Forest Products' Stillwater Forest Operation.

- Published: 2026-11-03T23:52:08+00:00
- Section: Mergers & Acquisitions
- Author: News Desk
- URL: https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-11-03/tlaamin-nation-stillwater-forest-acquisition
- Source: [Newswire](https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/historic-federal-loan-guarantee-enables-tla-amin-nation-to-acquire-forestry-business-816719384.html)

## Key takeaways

- Canada Indigenous Loan Guarantee Corporation announced a $64 million loan guarantee for Tla'amin Nation's acquisition of the Stillwater Forest Operation.
- The Stillwater Forest Operation spans nearly 154,000 hectares on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast.
- The guarantee supports Tla'amin Nation's acquisition of Tree Farm Licence 39, Block 1, in qathet Regional District near Powell River.
- CILGC has enabled 48 Indigenous Nations through $840 million in loan guarantees across four transactions.

Tla'amin Nation will acquire full ownership of Western Forest Products' Stillwater Forest Operation, a forestry business spanning nearly 154,000 hectares in British Columbia, backed by a $64 million loan guarantee from Canada Indigenous Loan Guarantee Corporation. [Newswire](https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/historic-federal-loan-guarantee-enables-tla-amin-nation-to-acquire-forestry-business-816719384.html) announced the guarantee on November 3, 2026.

Tla'amin Nation is a self-governing modern treaty nation with significant land holdings in the qathet region, and its treaty with Canada and British Columbia came into force in 2016. [Western Forest Products](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0002lmx/western-forest-products) is the seller of the Stillwater Forest Operation.

## Tla'amin Nation's Stillwater Forest Deal

The guarantee comes through the federal Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program, which was established to help Indigenous Nations overcome barriers to accessing capital and participate as owners in major projects on their traditional territories. The program is delivered by [Canada Indigenous Loan Guarantee Corporation](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00erzek/canada-indigenous-loan-guarantee-corporation), a wholly owned subsidiary of Canada Development Investment Corporation that issues loan guarantees on behalf of Canada.

The guarantee will support Tla'amin Nation's acquisition of Tree Farm Licence 39, Block 1, in qathet Regional District, near Powell River, British Columbia. The transaction will give Tla'amin Nation greater control over the management and stewardship of the lands, according to the announcement, while creating opportunities for long-term economic benefits, employment and community prosperity.

"By supporting Tla'amin Nation's acquisition of the Stillwater Forest Operation, we're enabling a transformative investment -- one that puts the Nation in the driver's seat of a major forestry operation, strengthens its economic future and creates lasting opportunities for its people," said Kristan Straub, President and Chief Executive Officer of CILGC.

"This loan guarantee is an important step in Tla'amin's journey toward economic sovereignty," said hegus John Hackett, Tla'amin Nation. "We believe that when the people who belong to a place care for it, we can work toward an economy that balances rights with responsibilities, and prosperity with protection."

[Western Forest Products](https://www.westernforest.com) and Tla'amin Nation completed the sale of the Stillwater Forest Operation near Powell River for about $80 million, TradingView reported on November 3, 2026. Qwoqwnes Forestry Holdings Limited Partnership is owned by the Tla'amin Nation.

CILGC has directly enabled 48 Indigenous Nations across four transactions through $840 million in loan guarantees, according to the announcement.

## CILGC's Guarantee Track Record

CILGC delivers the Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program and issues loan guarantees on behalf of Canada. The program is intended to support Indigenous Nations in taking ownership stakes in projects on their traditional territories. The announcement said access to affordable capital has too often been a barrier to that participation.

## Companies in this story

- Tla'amin Nation · website: https://www.tlaaminnation.com
- [Western Forest Products company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0002lmx/western-forest-products) · website: https://www.westernforest.com
- [Canada Indigenous Loan Guarantee Corporation company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00erzek/canada-indigenous-loan-guarantee-corporation) · website: https://cilgc-cgpac.ca

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