BCBusiness
Crystal Smith, chief councillor of the Haisla Nation, is a winner in the Leader category of the 2025 Women of the Year Awards
It will be interesting to see if, this July, anyone runs against Crystal Smith for the position of chief councillor. It seems like it would be a daunting task to unseat Smith, who has held the role for almost eight years and has overseen Cedar LNG, the world’s first Indigenous majority-owned LNG project.
“Up until about three months ago I was very uncertain as to whether or not I would run, but I’ve got that excitement back and it’s another challenge that I’m definitely up for,” says Smith. “I’ve been getting a lot of feedback from Nation members and some of our council that are happy I’m going to be running again. I don’t want to sound too optimistic [about winning] though. I just hope I get acclaimed at least once.”
In her role, Smith oversees the operations of the Haisla Nation, a First Nation based just south of the town of Kitimat, and its over 2,000 members. The last year or so has been especially crucial in determining the future of the Nation, as Smith has steered the $5.5-billion Cedar LNG project, a floating LNG terminal with an annual production capacity of 3.3 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas. The site is currently under construction.
“Members are definitely proud to see [Cedar LNG],” Smith notes, “but I think it’s also been about managing the shift of a different setting. We’re owners, not partners in it… the reality of those expectations is something that’s been an adjustment for us.”
Smith also recently joined the board of Vancouver-based Taseko Mines, which operates the largest employer in the Cariboo region, the Gibraltar Mine. It’s another barrier broken.
“I’ve never had any corporate experience; I’ve always been working for our Nation since I started working,” says Smith. “I was definitely nervous and I guess had some imposter syndrome, but when the aspect of Indigenous participation [in the company’s projects] came up, I definitely felt like I belonged.”
Discover our full list of 21 BCBusiness 2025 Women of the Year award winners here.