About
Tamara Loiselle,
Founder and CEO
Originally from British Columbia, Tamara graduated from the University of Alberta, Faculty of Agriculture in Environmental Science. Tamara was awarded a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal for her environmental work with Indigenous communities and a Platinum Jubilee medal in 2023 in recognition of her activism and her work with Synergraze. Tamara was also named a TIME Magazine Hero Mom of the Year.
“I am a scientist, born and raised in British Columbia, and educated in the environmental sciences at the University of Alberta. I care deeply about the environment, and I have dedicated my entire career to sustainability and helping to build Indigenous community capacity to participate in the areas of environmental monitoring and protection while responsibly managing natural resources.”
T’Sou-ke Nation
Synergraze has partnered with the T’Sou-ke First Nation and a pilot scale production facility has been in development on their reserve lands since 2020. T’Sou-ke Nation is a leader in environmental enhancement, having invested resources in such projects as a solar farm electricity array on their reserve lands, ongoing monitoring of the marine water and mammals including whales, and eliminating invasive green crab from the Sooke Basin.
The East Sooke site is traditional territory for the T’Sou-ke Nation with midden visible along the banks, a centuries-old site for clam digging for Indigenous peoples. The Nation also owns the aquaculture tenure at the East Sooke site.
Currently, a scale-up for commercialization is underway to grow seaweed native to the local waters of the Pacific in a land-based aquaculture facility.
T’Sou-ke Nation Chief
Gordon Planes
Chief Gordon Planes’ traditional name is HYA-QUATCHA, named after his great Grandfather and Hereditary Chief of the Salmon People. He has been Chief of T’Sou-ke Nation for the past twelve years. Chief Planes is actively working closely with the community in renewable energy, food security, cultural health and economic development.
“I have lived in this region for my entire life, as have my ancestors. I can see with my own eyes that our local environment has become increasingly out of balance, and it needs our help. I strongly support the work of Synergraze and see it as a great opportunity to help Mother Earth.”