CPAC Participates in First Nations Annual General Assembly
First Nation leaders, delegates and citizens from across the country gathered in Regina, SK in July for the Assembly of
First Nations (AFN) 38th Annual General Assembly (AGA).
The AFN AGA is a forum for communities to come together and discuss resolutions relating to local and regional issues impacting Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Again in 2017, the Canadian Pipeline Advisory Council (CPAC) attended, with the understanding that it is important to take advantage of the opportunity to engage with Indigenous communities.
The CPAC team focused on the promotion of Indigenous engagement programs in our industry and also provided information about the pipeline construction process and possible opportunities for work. Aecon and Michels Canada Co. provided attendees with outlines of current engagement programs underway across their companies in Canada. In collaboration with CPAC, the International Union of Operating Engineers — represented by Carla St. Louis, director of marketing and Indigenous affairs with the Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario (OETIO) and Sheldon McKenna, international representative — attended with an interactive display. This provided a fantastic opportunity for eager attendees to work with scaled-down simulator equipment, comparable
to the larger versions on the right-of-way.
The Labourer’s International Union of North America (LiUNA) was further represented by Patrick Sorce, field coordinator, LiUNA Canadian Tri-Fund, and Larry Villeneuve, Indigenous training liaison. Recently, Villeneuve has taken on a national role with LiUNA’s Tri-Fund to further enhance efforts in developing the union’s outreach programs
In attendance for CPAC were: Tony Pietrangelo, international representative for LiUNA; Kellie Gamble, manager, labour relations with the PLCAC; Lyall Nash, CPAC chairman (and current PLCAC president); Brian Greyeyes, Aboriginal liaison with Michels Canada Co.; and Bill Clarke, vice president Indigenous relations for Aecon.