July 8, 2024 (Clearwater, BC) – Born and raised in British Columbia, Sky Keepers program graduate Lacey is building her outdoor business and incorporating the training and entrepreneurial courses she received from the program into her growing venture.
Sky Keepers, an Indigenous-led, Construction Foundation of BC (CFBC) program supported by DIGITAL, provides drone training and certification to underrepresented groups, as well as entrepreneurial, technical, and safety certifications that equip graduates with a number of skills and certificates that they can use to achieve success in their future endeavours.
Lacey, an avid hunter and outdoor enthusiast, has built up the profile of her business, Countryside Adventures, on social media and is now taking the next step with the licensing of the business and construction of a physical location in the town of Clearwater. The temporary location is the first stage of her business venture, which is currently set to launch with tackle and bait and paddleboard rentals.
Thanks in part to the drone training provided through Sky Keepers, Lacey’s future plans include documenting events facilitated by Countryside Adventures (such as fishing derbies) from a new perspective that drone aerial shots can provide. Her expansion ideas also include services for multiple outdoor activities including swimming, and boating.
“I want to keep growing my business so it gets bigger and bigger,” said Lacey. “Right now it’s a small storefront, but I don’t plan on staying this small for long.”
The construction of Countryside Adventure’s physical location comes on the heels of her graduation from Sky Keepers, as well as a recognition of the need for services that Countryside Adventures intends to provide (the nearest hunting store currently requires a lengthy drive up Highway 24).
Despite graduating in the Sky Keepers’ second cohort, Lacey has continued to access the program’s support systems put in place to help participants on a one-to-one basis as they navigate their way towards their goals.
“It was a few stressful months,” added Lacey. “The Indigenous entrepreneurship course was more intense than the drone training—it gets tough sometimes when you’re balancing training with life and family.
“Keri [Taylor, program manager for Sky Keepers] kind of held me together. I’m pretty sure she’s seen me in all stages of stress and success that comes with pushing ones self out of their comfort zone and taking a step into something new. She’s been there the whole way.”
Despite the stresses and uncertainty, the pros for Lacey to work for herself and build her own business outweigh the cons at the end of the day.
“It doesn’t feel like work when you actually enjoy what you’re doing.”
Sky Keepers is made possible through the support of DIGITAL, Canada’s Global Innovation Cluster for digital technologies, and funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Skills for Success Program.
For more information on the work being done by the Construction Foundation of BC and to donate, please visit cfbc.ca
ABOUT DIGITAL
DIGITAL, Canada’s Global Innovation cluster for digital technologies, grows Canadian businesses through the development, adoption and deployment of Canadian-made technologies and by working with industry to develop a digitally skilled workforce to positively impact lives across our country. We bring together businesses, academia, community and government agencies to solve some of industry and society’s biggest challenges – better and faster than any single organization can do on its own. Through a powerful model that combines cross-sector collaboration, Canadian IP creation and results-based co-investment, we unlock the potential of Canadian industry to lead and succeed in the digital world.
Ahead of the curve starts here.
For more information, visit: https://www.digitalsupercluster.ca
