About SWCC

Our Story
- Informing our membership on proposed development plans that may compromise our vision of a sustainable regional economy.
- Working to develop long-term stewardship plans for the Skeena Watershed
- Organizing information meetings between regional/provincial governments, corporate developers and local communities
- Contributing to baseline research of wildlife, water quality, and cultural heritage resources in the Upper Skeena Watershed
- Developing sustainable employment opportunities that are compatible with the globally significant values of the region
- Providing educational programs for the region’s children and youth (school programs and a summer conservation camp) to learn about the values within the Skeena watershed
- Sponsoring gatherings for stories, music, and art celebrating the Skeena Watershed
- Investing in research and development for local projects that offer positive community economic development potential in line with our organizational values
“Cultivating a sustainable future from a sustainable environment rooted in our culture and thriving wild salmon ecosystem.”
The Skeena Watershed
We boast all 5 species of wild salmon, the largest strain of wild steelhead in the world, moose, grizzly, black bear, spirit bear, caribou, wolverine, wolves, mountain goat, stone sheep and many other iconic wildlife in healthy, robust populations.
The Skeena Watershed is home to the traditional territories of many First Nations people and settler descendants who live with each other and share very similar values although we don’t always agree. The one thing we agree on is that we love where we live and are willing to stand up for our future generations.


How We Work
work in a sense of place and trust in each other.
The Skeena’s Journey


Skeena Salmon
Our Board of Directors

Todd Stockner
Board Chair
Todd Stockner moved to the Kispiox Valley from New Westminster in 1994 with his young family. An angling guide in the Skeena watershed since 1982, he now operates his own angling guide business on the Kispiox and Skeena rivers. In the off season he makes his living as a fine woodworker, working out of the workshop on his hobby farm.
He received training in fine woodworking at the College of the Redwoods Fine Woodworking Program in Fort Bragg, California in 1989/90. As well as being a director of SWCC, Todd also sits on the executive steering committee of Friends of Wild Salmon, is an active member of the North Coast Steelhead Alliance, as well as a member of Western Canada Wilderness Committee.
When not taking up time with all of the above, you can find him playing hockey on the pond in front of his house with friends and family during the winter; listening to and watching the amazing bird life all around us in the spring; cutting firewood, mowing the lawn, and floating the rivers in the summer; and – when not guiding – he can be found on some remote and beautiful part of our rivers fly fishing for steelhead every fall.

Gene Allen
Board Member

Wade Davis
Board Member
Presently a Research Associate of the Instituto Caribe de Antropologia y Sociologia in Caracas, Venezuela, he is an Honorary Research Associate of the Institute of Economic Botany of the New York Botanical Garden, a Collaborator in Botany at the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution, Adjunct Professor in the Department of Biology at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, Research Associate of the Department of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia, a Fellow of the Linnean Society and the Executive Director of the Endangered People’s Project.

Harriet Hall
Board Member
Harriet Hall and her partner relocated in 2008 from Secwepemcúl’ecw to Spookw, in the Laxyip, after years of exploring the northwest. They have a small regenerative agricultural enterprise that revolves around raising sheep, berries and bees while encouraging local pollinators, birds and wildlife. Professionally, she practices as a Registered Massage Therapist with an interest in helping people achieve optimum function. She is a director of the Hazelton Farmers Market Society and mentors the beekeeping project at USDC/Senden. Harriet’s roots are rural and she is keenly aware of the importance of protecting, maintaining and restoring natural ecosystems. At the same time, she understands the importance of developing sustainable economic enterprises to support the human members of the community. From Amchitka Island, the Stein Valley, Site C and various local community initiatives, she has worked, over the years, to draw attention to issues, educate folks and protect the environment. For relaxation and joy, Harriet runs, hikes, swims, bikes and paddles in our beautiful mountains, lakes and rivers.

Cathy Sims
Board Member

Roy Vickers
Board Member
In 1994, Maclean’s magazine included Roy as the first artist ever in its Annual Honour Roll of Extraordinary Canadian Achievers. In 1998, the Province of British Columbia appointed Roy to the prestigious Order of B.C. and in 2003, Roy received the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal. In 2003, a video featuring Roy was part of the successful Vancouver 2010 Olympic Bid. In 1987, at the Commonwealth Summit in Vancouver, the original of Roy’s painting A Meeting of Chiefs was the official gift of the Province of British Columbia to Queen Elizabeth II. Limited edition prints of the painting were presented to the 48 Commonwealth Heads of State. During their Vancouver Summit in 1993, former Soviet leader Boris Yeltsin and former U.S. president Bill Clinton received artist’s proofs of Roy’s print The Homecoming as the Province’s official gift.
Roy’s father was a fisherman with the blood of three northwest coast First Nations – Tsimshian, Haida and Heiltsuk – flowing in his veins. Roy’s mother was a schoolteacher whose parents had immigrated to Canada from England.

Brad Wilson
Board Member

Taylor Wale
Board Member
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Marilyn Brown
Board Member
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Our Staff

Brian Huntington
Associate Director

Kathy Stockner
Office Administrator

Kesia Nagata
Energy Coordinator - Skeena Energy Solutions

Jennifer Bulleid
Administrative & Program Support
Jennifer belongs to the Lax Gibuu (Wolf clan). She has a background in carpentry, a passion for local food security, and regenerative agriculture. Carpentry is what brought her to SWCC – she’s helped build the solar-powered YOW base, several cabins, and multiple chicken coops! Since joining the team she has become an amateur chicken tender, raising a handful of laying hens in her backyard in Sik-e-Dakh. Email Jennifer.

Anissa Watson
Director of Program Execution

Simon Stockner
Senior River Guide
Raised by a master fisherman and an outstanding office-mom, Simon had a good head-start in life as a little alevin. As a fry he grew his love for the outdoors including the Kispiox Valley which he has called home his whole life. Through his teen years as a parr, he started spending more and more time on, in, and around rivers. At 14, he was lucky enough to spend a few days in the Sacred Headwaters of the Skeena, seeing off the Skeena Swim team in 2009. He then participated in the second and third ever Youth On Water programs when he was 15 and 16 years old and took up fly fishing. After graduating high school the young smolt journeyed away from his Skeena home to pursue music as a drummer/booking manager in his band at the time, The Racket, always keeping his river roots close at heart. As a young adult, he traveled far and wide, venturing from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean and reaching as far as Southern Africa where he worked with youth. Now as a matured adult, Simon has returned home and is rooted as ever in the rivers that raised him. With over three years of river guiding experience, Simon is dedicated to his role in SWCC to mentor, empower, and learn from our local youth. Simon is in love with this job and the amazing life it imparts… a life on water. Email Simon.

Derek Ingram
Project Lead
Professional chicken tender.

Firyal Mohamed
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Good greetings- I’m Firyal. I was brought onto the team at SWCC to support community economic development initiatives that fall under the scope of Skeena Energy Solutions. I left the big city six years ago in search of a quieter life, surrounded by nature and good people. My community economic development work in northern BC has given me opportunities to support small business development, social entrepreneurship, food security and regenerative agriculture initiatives on Haida Gwaii and in and around the Upper Skeena. I’ve been grateful to live, learn and offer my gifts on the homeland of the Gitxsan people and feel blessed to witness the flow of mighty Skeena every day! Email Firyal.

Raven
2023 Summer Intern
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Honor Watson
2022 & 2023 Summer Intern
Hi, my name is Honor Watson and I am the summer intern at SWCC. I am 19 years old and I have lived in Hazelton for 16 of those years. I am a first-year student at the University of Victoria where I am studying general science with a plan to declare a major in biopsychology and go into the medical field. I am an adventurous person and love the opportunity to be pushed outside of my comfort zone. In my free time, I enjoy being outdoors, staying active and spending as much time with my friends as possible. Growing up, my mom worked for SWCC so I think it is very cool that I am now getting the same opportunity and I am very excited to spend the summer with SWCC.

Shannon McPhail
Co-Executive Director

Jesse Stoeppler
Co-Executive Director


