Our team has developed our innovative engagement philosophy and grassroots approach over the course of many years of work in communities all over western Canada.

We believe nothing is as important and effective as spending time with the people who will be directly impacted by proposed developments, and listening to their concerns, and learning about what matters to them.

The respect we bring to our engagement work is the same respect we show one another, and our neighbours. We aspire to live in a kind, inclusive, productive world, and it is our goal to do our part to create that environment. Social license to operate is not just a slogan for us.

Learn more about the engagement and consultation services we offer.

The House of Blue Skies Consulting team has engaged dozens of communities and thousands of stakeholders on many high-profile infrastructure projects, including:

Enbridge Line 3 Replacement Program

We led the public consultation portfolio as members of the Enbridge Stakeholder Relations team providing strategic counsel, corporate communications, and stakeholder engagement support on the development of the wide-ranging Participant Involvement Program (PIP) that included more than 6000 stakeholders, as well as dozens of municipalities. We developed communications materials including project collateral, newsletters and key messages, planned and facilitated open houses and municipal meetings, and provided extensive mediation support during key negotiations with stakeholders and stakeholder groups such as CAEPLA. Our services also included the comprehensive, audited tracking and management of all communications and citizen engagement initiatives and responses, as well as hearing preparation and support.

Dates: 2013-2016

Capital Costs: $5.3 billion (for the Canadian portion of the pipeline)

Oxbow Sulphur Canada

We developed and implemented Aboriginal engagement, public engagement and communication strategies for a sulphur processing facility in Northern Alberta.  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.

Access Pipeline – Northwest Expansion (NEX) – AER Application

Provided strategic senior counsel, engagement support services, and corporate communications around the planning and implementation public consultation initiatives to support the development of its Northeast Expansion, located northeast of Fort Saskatchewan.

Dates: 2011-2014

Capital Costs: $600 million

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.

Dates: 2011-2013

Capital Costs: $600

Heartland Transmission Project

Played a key role in the Public Consultation for EPCOR’s largest project, the Heartland Transmission Project from proposed concept to construction. This was one of Alberta’s largest and most robust consultation program. We engaged more than 240,000 stakeholders through newsletters, project updates and a project website. We also led and organized more than 20 open houses and engagement activities in and around the Edmonton region. Created an innovative tool to engage and educate stakeholders about transmission power projects in Alberta. This tool was used to help identify issues regarding the route and impacts of the transmission line. It was also used to learn about stakeholder’s values and their priorities, for example what was more important to a landowner: wildlife or property values. A large number of approaches were used to maximize the opportunities to engage all stakeholders including various satellite public consultation locations to allow people to drop in during office hours to learn about the project as well as voice their issues and concerns.

Dates: 2008-2012

Capital Costs: $596 million