Earlier this summer, after careful consideration and conversations with Foundry central office, Kw’umut Lelum made the decision to transition out of its role as lead agency for Foundry Snuneymuxw (Nanaimo).
This change comes at an important stage in the project and will allow Kw’umut Lelum to focus on its key organizational priorities, while continuing to share its strengths in relationship-building, cultural grounding, and community connection. We are deeply grateful to Kw’umut Lelum for the care, leadership, and relationships it has brought to this work and for helping build a strong foundation for a future Foundry centre that will serve young people, families, caregivers, and the broader Nanaimo communities.
Foundry central office remains committed to bringing a Foundry centre to Nanaimo and is working closely with partners to support a smooth transition. Throughout this transition, Kw’umut Lelum will continue to support the project and help maintain important connections with partners, youth, families, caregivers, and community members.
To identify a new lead agency for Foundry Snuneymuxw (Nanaimo), Foundry central office will host an Expression of Interest (EOI) process this fall. The EOI process will include a virtual information session for interested organizations, an opportunity for interested organizations to meet with FCO and completion of an application. A high level timeline of the Expression of Interest process outlined below:
- End of September 2026: EOI Applications Open
- Mid-October. 2026: EOI Application Deadline
- October/November 2026: Application Review
- End of November: Lead Agency Selection
The virtual information session for interested organization will be held on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at 9:00am-10:30am. The virtual information session will provide an update on the Foundry Snuneymuxw Lead Agency Transition and outline the process and timeline for selecting a new Lead Agency.
Register to attend here.
For questions about this Expression Of Interest process, please reach out to expansion@foundrybc.ca.