Government of Canada and Gitanyow First Nation advance construction to build new Kitwanga River hatchery for Skeena sockeye

GITANYOW, BC, Aug. 25, 2026 /CNW/ -- Hatcheries play a vital role in efforts to conserve and rebuild vulnerable Pacific salmon populations while strengthening the social, cultural, and economic fabric of the communities they serve.

Today, the Honourable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries, in partnership with Gitanyow Nation, announced the award of a general construction contract valued at over $7.5 million to Progressive Ventures Construction, marking the next phase of development for the Wilp'Ho Dix Hatchery.

Gitanyow First Nation

Kitwanga River hatchery

This facility will be located on the Kitwanga River, a tributary of the Skeena River in northwestern portion of the province. It will be built by the Government of Canada and operated in partnership with the Gitanyow First Nation. The hatchery will raise Kitwanga River sockeye salmon, a stock of significant conservation concern that is of profound cultural importance to the Gitanyow Nation and an important component of the broader Skeena River sockeye salmon population.

The project will consist of a hatchery building, a rearing tank farm, aeration tower and supporting infrastructure, including underground water supplies and roadways. A sustainable, energy-efficient fish culture system will allow for the treatment and reuse of some of the water used during the incubation stage. The facility will have the capacity to raise 300,000 juvenile sockeye salmon, with the potential to expand to up to 400,000 in the future.

Beyond supporting recovery of Pacific salmon stocks of conservation concern, community-run hatcheries provide hands-on learning opportunities, reinforce cultural connections, and contribute towards achieving long-term sustainability of Pacific salmon populations for ecological, cultural, social, and economic benefits. By investing in the Gitanyow hatchery, Fisheries and Oceans Canada will be working with Gitanyow Nation to safeguard salmon while supporting the community's ongoing connection to this iconic species.

Quotes

"The new Wilp'Ho Dix Hatchery will raise 300,000 young sockeye a year for the Kitwanga River, and Gitanyow Nation and Fisheries and Oceans Canada are building it together to bring that run back. Community hatcheries across British Columbia pull volunteers, Indigenous partners and government together to protect and rebuild salmon, and they keep communities connected to the fish that sustain them. Wilp'Ho Dix will carry that important work forward for generations."
The Honourable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries

"Thirty years ago, Chief Biiyosxw of Wilp Gwaas Hla'am was raising salmon in a small wooden shed beside the creek because we understood then, as we do today, that we have a responsibility to care for the salmon and the waters that sustain them. To see Wilp'Ho Dix now taking shape at the entrance to Gitanyow Village is incredibly meaningful. This new hatchery builds on generations of Gitanyow knowledge, stewardship and determination, and will help ensure that Kitwanga sockeye are here for generations to come."
Joel Starlund/Sk'a'nism Tsa 'Win'Giit, Executive Director, Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs Office

Quick Facts

• Wilp'Ho Dix means "House of Little Fish" in the Gitxsan language.
  
  
• This hatchery is funded by a one-time capital investment for construction and equipment made under the first phase (2021-2025) of Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative (PSSI). On March 31, 2026, the Government of Canada announced an investment of $412.9 million for the PSSI for the next five years; information on allocation of this new funding will be available in the near future. 
  
  
• The Government of Canada has implemented a mandatory requirement for federal departments and agencies to ensure that a minimum of 5 per cent of the total value of contracts is awarded to Indigenous businesses.
• Through this Indigenous Participation Plan (IPP), Progressive Ventures Construction has committed and is currently delivering meaningful Indigenous participation, including subcontracting to the Gitanyow First Nation over the life of the contract.
   
• Hatcheries are overseen by DFO's Salmonid Enhancement Program (SEP), which produces over 300 million juvenile salmon each year for conservation, stock assessment, and harvest purposes. DFO also supports the restoration of habitat in rivers, streams, and wetlands, and supports citizen and First Nation involvement in salmon enhancement and watershed stewardship.  
   
• Pacific salmon produced from hatcheries in British Columbia contribute over $100 million to annual provincial GDP and support over 1,500 full-time equivalent jobs in fishery-related industries.

Related Products

• Government of Canada and Gitanyow Nation partner on new Community Economic Development hatchery to support Pacific salmon
• Canada's Nature Strategy renews Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative to protect and rebuild wild Pacific salmon populations

Associated Links

• Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs
• Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative
• Salmonid Enhancement Program
• About hatcheries and spawning channels

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SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Canada

Contacts: Ira Khedkar, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, [email protected]; Media Relations, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 613-990-7537, [email protected]