Report examines benefits for Aboriginal communities

The 13th annual report on Aboriginal participation in mining in Canada was released on April 19. The document, prepared by the Intergovernmental Working Group Sub-committee on Aboriginal Participation in Mining, focuses on ways in which Aboriginal communities benefit from mining and on what the mining industry can do to help maximize those benefits.

The report, entitled Mechanisms for Aboriginal Community Benefits, was released in Iqualuit by the territory's Economic Development and Transportation Minister Olayuk Akesuk and federal Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) Jim Prentice on behalf of the sub-committee. Formed by INAC in 1989, the role of the sub-committee is to help increase the number of Aboriginal people involved in the mining industry. Each province and territory has a representative on the sub-committee, as do Natural Resources Canada and INAC.

"I'm pleased to see the latest version of this valuable report," Prentice said at the launch. "Since the first report was released we've seen a lot of positive progress. The new report continues to highlight the commitment of all partners, including the government of Canada, to ensuring that Aboriginal communities are benefiting from mineral development."

In its report, the sub-committee gives examples of successful initiatives that have helped increase Aboriginal involvement in the mining sector, providing best practices for others in the industry to emulate. The success of Saskatchewan's uranium mining industry in employing Aboriginal people was one of the items highlighted.

"The uranium mining industry is the largest full-time employer of Aboriginal people in the province and is the primary engine of economic development in northern Saskatchewan," the report reads. "Saskatchewan's mining industry is an internationally recognized leader in both employment of Aboriginal workers and in developing business industries with Aboriginal communities in support of mining activities. Mining companies continue to improve on this record, with increasing numbers of Aboriginal people employed in senior management positions at their mine sites."

According to the report, year-end statistics for 2004 indicate 53 per cent of jobs directly related to northern mining were held by northerners, and 85 per cent of those northern employees were Aboriginal.

The report points to a number of initiatives in place in Saskatchewan that have helped the industry along in its attempts build Aboriginal capacity, including the Multi-Party Training Plan and Environmental Quality Committees.

The Multi-Party Training Plan is a partnership between Aboriginal organizations, communities, the mining industry and the provincial and federal governments created to provide training to residents of the north to prepare them for employment in the mining sector.

The Environmental Quality Committees were established by the province in 1995. Made up of local residents chosen by their communities, the role of the committees is to keep regulators and industry informed about mine operations and the impact they are having on the community, whether those impacts be environmental, social or economic.

"These tools have strengthened the mutually beneficial relationship among the mining industry, government and northern communities," the report states. "Through various avenues, such as scholarships and mentoring opportunities, the mining companies encourage northern youth to stay in school to obtain a minimum Grade 12 education."

Other industry sectors have taken note of the success Saskatchewan has had in engaging Aboriginal people in mining, the report goes on to say, and are using these made-in-Saskatchewan initiatives as templates for their own attempts to increase Aboriginal participation.

"This is a valuable report, documenting the hard work, experience and lessons learned by the mining industry, Aboriginal communities and governments as we worked together to encourage Aboriginal participation in mining," said Gordon Peeling, president and CEO of the Mining Association of Canada. "The largest private sector employer of Aboriginal Canadians today, the mining industry has much to offer in terms of career opportunities, economic and business development and the acquisition of new skills."

Copies of the report are available at www.inac.gc.ca.