Xwísten is involved in a number of businesses that provide jobs for our members, high quality services to clients and revenue for our band. Our band’s economic development initiatives are coordinated through the Band Administrator and Finance Manager.

Band-owned businesses

Please contact us if you would like a quote or to make a booking with any of our band-owned businesses described below.

• Xwísten Experience Tours and Bearfoot Grill Concession Stand: Xwísten Experience Tours offers tours from June to September, which include food, historical commentary, and sightseeing of our traditional fishing grounds and settlements. Xwísten tours employs six full time employees throughout the summer months. Visit the Xwísten Experience Tours website.
• Xwisten Volunteer Fire Department: Xwisten Fire Department is Volunteers from the community. The department is on call 24/7 in case of an emergency.
• Space rental: We have several spaces that can be rented for meetings or events, including a full sized gymnasium a beautiful outdoor arbour, and soccer field, a kitchen and boardrooms. See the rental list here. Contact us for discuss your needs and get a quote.
• Labourers: Xwísten band office regularly coordinates with local companies to find temporary skilled labourers. Band members with specific skills are matched with employers. These types of contracts typically include slashing, fuel management (i.e. forest thinning), fisheries contracts, hydro contracts, flagging, etc. Contact us for details.

Partnerships and joint ventures

In addition to the businesses that are fully owned by our band, we have also made investments and partnerships in other businesses:

• Bridge River Management Limited Partnership: The Bridge River Indian Band has reorganized our business ventures. A new company named Bridge River Management Limited Partnership (BRMLP) was created to manage these business ventures. Bridge River Logging, Lillooet Disposal Services and Xwisten Contracting will now operate under BRMLP. The BRMLP office is located at 159 Tsistken Road. The phone number is 250-256-4061.
  • Lillooet Disposal Services: Owns septic trucks, portable toilets, and garbage trucks. Provides septic maintenance services, portable toilet rentals and garbage removal (commercial & residential). Please phone 250-256-4061 to discuss your needs or to get a quote.
  • Xwisten Contracting: Owns and rents out, several large pieces of equipment, including excavators, dump trucks, water trucks, and a loader. Please phone 250-256-4061 to discuss your needs or to get a quote.
  •  Bridge River Logging: Bridge River Logging provides contract logging services and owns and rents out graders, logging truck, skidders, and log loader. We have operated this company for over 30 years. Please phone 250-256-4061 to discuss your needs or to get a quote.

• Lillooet Salish Enterprises: Xwísten is a 50% joint owner of this business, along with Cayoose Creek Band. The business owns and rents out three buildings in Lillooet.
• St’át’imc Tribal Holdings: Xwísten is one of six communities that are shareholders in this group. While there are currently no operations, in the future we may operate a pellet plant through this group.
• St’át’imc Government Services/ St’át’imc Chiefs Council: This group is currently in the process of starting and running several businesses, including businesses that specialize in engineering; management consulting; piping and piling; welding, fabrication and engineering; Eco-resources, archaeology and heritage; and safety services.