Kikino Silver Birch Resort – Métis Cultural Experience

Through Indigenous Services Canada’s Strategic Partnership Initiative (SPI), CES has had the wonderful opportunity of working with Dave and Shirley Thompson, of Kikino Silver Birch Resort (KSBR), a very popular community-owned getaway located 2 hours north of Edmonton. With support from SPI and other provincial and federal funding bodies, KSBR is now pursuing its vision for an authentic cultural experience which will instil pride by preserving and sharing the Settlement’s vibrant Métis culture with visitors.

Traditional Métis trapper tents will be a central theme or product upon which cultural experience packages will be built. Dave and Shirley envision a place where Kikino’s strong Métis identity is celebrated throughout the entire operation from the cultural products and experiences offered to the interior décor to the trails and natural areas.

CES’ role in this project has been holistic, beginning with helping KSBR management to conceptualize and refine their cultural tourism vision to engaging architectural services for a master site plan to liaising with funding organizations to help secure the substantial resources required to renovate existing cabins and begin site preparation and construction of the new cultural products.