01 -44 RENEW MAY-JUNE25 PT - Flipbook - Page 16
INDIGENOUS PARTNERSHIPS
(Left to right):
Michael Fox,
president, ICE
Indigenous (moderator);
Chief Cindy Woodhouse,
National Chief,
Assembly of First Nations;
Hillary Thatcher,
Managing Director,
Investments, Canada
Infrastructure Bank; and
Cherie Brant, Partner
and National Leader,
Indigenous Law, BLG.
ECONOMIC RECONCILIATION
A new way forward to unlock Canadian infrastructure
C
16
RENEW CANADA – MAY/JUNE 2025
THE PANEL:
Chief Cindy
Woodhouse Nepinak,
National Chief,
Assembly of First Nations
Cherie Brant,
Partner and National Leader,
Indigenous Law, BLG
Hillary Thatcher,
Managing Director,
Investments, Canada
Infrastructure Bank
Michael Fox,
President of
ICE Indigenous
(Moderator)
MPIRE CLUB OF CANADA
ANADIAN CORPORATIONS increasingly understand the importance of
working together with Indigenous communities to form equity
partnerships on procurement and infrastructure projects including
transportation, oil and gas, nuclear, health, social, and mining.
But for most of Canada’s history, these partnerships were
traditionally unheard of, and Indigenous communities were
purposefully excluded from all participation—having devastating
e昀昀ects on Indigenous communities.
Today, these partnerships are an important step towards economic
reconciliation for Indigenous peoples. Indigenous partnerships also
decrease project risk because participation ensures that all parties
have a mutual interest in a project’s success.
How did we get here?
In the past decades, there has been major development in Canadian
law supporting the rights of Indigenous peoples. Governments have
reacted to the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation
Committee process.
Governments have also implemented Indigenous content rules that
make participation a deal requirement.
A recent panel discussion, entitled Indigenous Partnerships—A
New Way Forward to Unlock Canadian Infrastructure, hosted by the
Empire Club of Canada focused on Indigenous partnerships and its
impact to Indigenous communities and Canadian infrastructure.
RENEWCANADA.NET
