And the timing couldn't be better for this type of conversation, from the Neil Young ripples being heard throughout the country and the close watch on the Jackpine and Moose Lake decisions, there is a strong desire to come to concrete conclusions.
One of the things that frustrates me, and I would guess frustrates many of you is the forced perspective of Aboriginal people in the country, told through the lens of a few and portrayed to the many through media.
JP Gladu
The day started with the a grand entry with the Fort McKay Drummers and the Fort McKay First Nation Chief & Council, special guests and presenting delegates entering in the Sawridge Inns conference room. Wab Kinew (Anishinaabe), the event emcee, opened the day by introducing himself in Anishinaabe, followed by opening addresses by JP Gladu (Anishinaabe), CEO of Canada Council for Aboriginal Business and Fort McKay First Nation Chief Jim Boucher (Cree) - who was introduced by Guy Boutilier, Deputy Mayor - Region Municipality of Wood Buffalo.
There is a distinct desire to create open and honest dialogue to create pathways of understanding between industry and Aboriginal peoples.
The first panel was the Economics Panel Discussion: The Oil Industry: The Present State & Future Outlook which featured four panelists and was moderated by Stephen Watson, the Senior VP of Strategic Growth, Carillion Canada. Although I expected there to be a typical panel, it ended up being more like a 10 minute presentation by each "panelist" which often included a PowerPoint presentation.
First up was Clint Davis (Inuk), Vice President of Aboriginal Banking for TD Business Banking, talking about the economics of Aboriginal business. This was followed by Dr. Marie Delorme (Metis) who gave a heartwarming discussion that referenced the United Nations Declaration of Rights of Indigenous People.
We are not resistant to change and development. We have always changed and adapted to our environment. We want to engage in that change, we want to author that change - we want to co-author that change.
Dr. Marie Delorme
Next up was Clayton Norris (Metis), who is the VP of Aboriginal Services at MNP. He discussed his viewpoint from an accountant's perspective. Ken Chapman, Executive Director of the Northern Initiatives for the Edmonton Economic Development rounded out the first panel. "We are in an industry in Canada that's under siege," he says. "We are just entering what I call Oil Sands 2.0." There was speculation amongst some conference attendees that he might be the one to shake things up. He spoke to the obligations of social license responsibly and made repeated mentions to the "triple bottom line."
Following a quick Q&A period we headed into lunch with a keynote presentation by Frank Oberle, Minister of Aboriginal Relations for Alberta and Deputy House Leader.
The afternoon panel is an Industry Forum: Working with Aboriginal Business and First Nations with moderator Janet Annesley, VP Communications at the Canadian Association for Petroleum Producers (CAPP). She was filling in for Dave Collyer, President CAPP, who was unable to make this conference as Annesley stated he had come down with a flu. Timely.
Mark Little, Executive VP, Upstream for Suncor Energy, kicked off this panel discussion discussing the Suncor investments into the local and Aboriginal economy. Next up was Colin Ashton, Production Improvement Manager of Shell Albian Sands, who made a statement about the importance of working with people on the ground, even when it comes to creating "wiggly ditches," which can actually become a challenge.
This statement pleased the next presenter Barrie Robb, CEO of Business Development of Fort McKay First Nation, as he worked it into his discussion on many occasions. I wonder if Ashton will ever live that statement down.
Robb had some very valuable points on Fort McKay's stance and his "Renting a Feather" discussion resonated with many people on both sides of the table. Last up was Peter Read, VP Strategic Planning for Syncrude Canada, who had a very orchestrated deck to share with the crowd. It was certainly informative, but it read like something that I could've read on their website just as easily.
The final panel of the day was the Best Practises Forum: Working in the Oil Industry: Including Success Stories, which was moderated by Dr. Marie Delorme. George Arcand Jr., CEO of Fort McKay First Nation, opened up the discussion talking about the importance of partnerships benefitting Aboriginal communities. Adam King, Manager of Site Services/Environment/Logistics for the Fort McKay First Nation Group of Companies was up next and spoke to the tremendous growth that they have had in the last three years.
George Lidgett, COO, Americas, for ATCO presented next followed by Nicole Bourque-Bouchier (Cree), CEO & Owner, The Bouchier Group. Her presentation resonated with both aspiring female entrepreneurs in the crowd, and Aboriginal entrepreneurs in general. The Bouchier Group employs over 750 people with a 55% Aboriginal workforce. Impressive indeed.
During this Q&A period things started to seem like they were going to get stirred up. Allan Adam from Fond-du-Lac asked the panel how long until a First Nation company will be able to build the site and produce their own oil? The room stood at a standstill waiting for someone to tackle that question. There were no clear answers for obvious reasons, but it was great to have that shift in the energy of the room with that bold question.
After we wrapped up the day's session and herded next door to the MNP VIP reception there were some discussions that took place about the day that left me pondering what tomorrow might hold. Industry types came to the conference with a genuine interest on creating open dialogue on the key issues and some felt that the day felt too safe and was typical of the many events of this nature that have been held before.
There is tension in the air and this diplomatic approach is appreciated, but there is a certain desire for deeper dialogue. We shall see how Day 2 unfolds and hope that there are more Adams in the audience willing to ask tough questions during the Q&A periods. Follow along @FortMckay and #EOSAC.
Further Coverage:
#EOSAC coverage of Day 1 Gala here
#EOSAC coverage of Day 2 here
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