RC116 JanFeb 2025 - Magazine - Page 9
“What we’re seeing now is a direct link between project viability
and Indigenous participation on projects in Canada.”
Indigenous communities conducted archaeological investigations at the site of Canada’s first parliament building in
Toronto during an early phase of the Ontario Line project.
and recently we’ve seen Indigenous participation programs become more established on transit projects.
Historically, many mining and energy projects took
place in less developed areas, so it was easier for government agencies and developers to recognize Indigenous
perspectives due to the proximity of those projects to
Indigenous communities. However, we’re now seeing
a shift toward greater Indigenous engagement in urban
areas. This shift re昀氀ects the increased role and strength of
Indigenous communities in engagement processes when
building comprehensive support is critical. What we’ve
learned from these other industries is relevant to transit
projects as well, if owners and project leaders don’t put
in the work to properly engage Indigenous communities,
projects can face many hurdles.
In Canada, the government requires public agencies
and private proponents to engage or consult with Indig-
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enous communities who might be adversely impacted by, or have an interest in, a project. These
impacts could be through the disruption of 昀椀shing, hunting and harvesting activities, or through
disturbances to cultural and archaeological
resources. While unconditional consent is usually
not required, the preference of the government is
for agencies to meaningfully engage Indigenous
communities.
Public awareness and opinion are evolving as
well, adding pressure to engage with and accommodate rightsholders. Media coverage has
become more attentive to Indigenous communities, especially due to past Indigenous-related
inequities and the recent and ongoing mainstream
discourse related to atrocities at former residential
schools in Canada. As a result, project proponents
are recognizing they must be more proactive in
their engagement e昀昀orts prior to proceeding with
infrastructure development.
How do you initiate conversations with Indigenous communities to lay a foundation for building trust and support for
ongoing engagement?
PARIAG: It’s di昀케cult to e昀昀ectively work with Indigenous communities without 昀椀rst having a relationship that’s built on a
foundation of trust. Building this trust requires early and ongoing engagement and a deep commitment to understanding
and respecting Indigenous knowledge and practices.
What I’ve found to be e昀昀ective is taking the time before a
project begins to identify the general geographic area of the
planned infrastructure and determine which Indigenous communities might be impacted. There are usually governmental
resources that can help. Next, I recommend meeting with
leaders and representatives from each of those communities to
develop personal relationships and better understand their key
challenges and priorities.
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