The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority will be on the lookout for a new chief executive as current CEO Curtis Grad is leaving to lead the Skwin’ang’eth Se’las Development Company.
At a news conference Friday, Grad was introduced as the face of the SSD, a federal not-for-profit corporation that was launched last year by the Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations and the harbour authority to promote economic development opportunities for the two nations.“It’s early days and it’s exciting. This will be a vehicle for [First Nations to have] really meaningful involvement in the local economy,” said Grad.
The organization’s mandate is to grow and develop start-up companies, establish educational programs to impart both employment and management skills and promote the economic well-being and cultural awareness of the two nations.
“We have a very important player on the harbour that isn’t fully engaged in the harbour economy,” Grad said. “This is their opportunity.”
Chief Andy Thomas of the Esquimalt First Nation is counting on it.
“I think this is a good milestone. We have been kept out of the economy for too long. We needed something to step up,” he said. “This will be a good opportunity for young people to develop a career or business.
“And we need that. There’s not much happening on the rez. I’ve been a chief there for over 40 years and trying to get economic development going there and I’ve had more success on the outside of the reserve.”
Thomas said the new program — housed at Fort Tectoria on Fort Street downtown, where the Victoria Advanced Technology Council houses its start-up accelerator centre — will take economic development to a new level.
“I’ve always had a vision of our nations taking part in the economy and being part of the workforce and finding our share in the wealth of our homelands,” Thomas added. “Today is a big day.”
Grad said it’s too early to say what projects they will dive into as he starts his new job this winter, but he said they have seed funding from the harbour authority for the nations to start planning.
As for why he is leaving the harbour authority after three and a half years, Grad said he’s playing to his own strong suit and his background working in start-up organizations.
“I’ve been in the early end of bringing companies from inception to mature state ... when stable, it’s time to move to the next opportunity,” he said. “You need a different skill set at more stable [organizations], and the harbour authority is maturing. It’s been in existence for 12 years and needs a different type of leadership.”
He called the move a “natural progression” and cited the completion of the CPR Steamship building, handrails at Ogden Point and settling the floating homes dispute at Fisherman’s Wharf as highlights of his tenure.
Calling Grad’s leaving a big loss for the authority, board director Barb Desjardins said the organization will meet next week to determine a course of action on finding a replacement.
“We will determine how that process will go forward,” she said. “In the meantime, Curtis will be with us during transition.”
The SSD has three directors — Lyle Henry of the Songhees Nation, Tim Power of the Esquimalt Nation and Stewart Johnston, founding chairman of the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority.
The board will add as many as six more directors.
