Engage early. Engage often. Including Indigenous communities in your project engagement early is paramount to project success.
As an integral part of our clients’ teams we have helped them navigate the complexities of Indigenous consultation within Canada. We have provided guidance, as well served as the main point of contact and managed relationships with Indigenous communities on our clients’ behalf.
For more information contact Natasha Kappell, our Indigenous Consultation Expert.
We have provided advice and recommendations to develop project buy-in and ultimately achieve regulatory approval and social licence to operate.
We have assisted with the day-to-day relationship building and partnering with Indigenous communities all the way to managing the consultation for large scale regulatory consultation projects.
We have helped our clients understand the regulatory and social capital needed for project success, and devised paths forward that achieved regulatory compliance and built lasting, respectful relationships.
Some examples of our past experience include:
BC Government
We participated in cross-government strategic policy on the LNG Environmental Stewardship Initiative that focused on a consensus decision making and capacity building model. We also lead the development of an Aboriginal Consultation Plan for a campsite expansion initiative with the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations where we provided strategic advice on Aboriginal engagement.
Oxbow Sulphur Canada
We developed and implemented Aboriginal engagement, public engagement and communication strategies for a sulphur processing facility in Northern Alberta. We successfully negotiated benefit agreements with impacted Indigenous communities. We engaged with numerous community organizations including the Regional District of Wood Buffalo, local community groups, MPs, MLAs, First Nations and Métis communities, where we were the primary point of contact. We provided Aboriginal awareness training,Ambassador training and media relations training to their staff. We also organized and hosted an open house and developed all of the coordinating communication materials such as Project Descriptions, newsletters, brochures, fact sheets, key messages and open house presentation boards.
Plains Midstream Canada
We developed Aboriginal Consultation Plans, Participant Involvement Plans and communication strategies for a several pipeline projects in Northern Alberta. We also developed and implemented an extensive citizen engagement program after an incident that resulted in a significant oil spill that impacted surrounding communities and watercourses and led to a two-year mitigation and rehabilitation project.
Quicksilver Fortune Creek Gas Plant – BC EAO Application
Provided strategic senior counsel and management of the First Nations engagement process supporting the Quicksilver B.C. EAO application for a gas processing plant in northeastern B.C. This included planning, organizing, overseeing and messaging First Nation and public consultation initiatives with a subsequent evaluation of each consultation that includes comments, input and attendance. In addition, our team was responsible for the development of both the Public and Aboriginal Consultation Plans.
Our team participated directly in many of the First Nation meetings including multiple meetings with the Fort Nelson First Nation, Dene Tha’ First Nation, Acho Dene First Nations (Fort Liard, Yukon – Treaty 11) and other members of B.C. Treaty 8, as well as community meetings with Fort Nelson and various members of the EAO Working Group.
We developed the initial drafts (for Quicksilver internal review and approval) of all external communications support materials, including project brochure, fact sheet, web content, questions and answers, key messages, open house story boards and other related materials. Our group also managed all of the stakeholder information management requirements for this project.