Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business

Halifax Aboriginal Business Luncheon, June 18, 2015 Page Break Report

Prepared by Amberlight Productions June 29, 2015

                                                                                           

CCAB Halifax Luncheon JP Gladu Interview Schedule  Tuesday, June 16 Outlet: Halifax Chronicle Herald

Format: Print, Online Interviewer: Andrea Gunn

Thursday, June 18 Outlet: CBC Information Morning Format: Radio Interviewer: Don Connolly

Outlet: CTV Morning Live Format: TV, Online Interviewer: Heidi Petrachek

Outlet: Global Morning News Format: TV, Online Interviewer: Crystal Garrett

Outlet: APTN Evening News Format: TV, Online Interviewer: Trina Roache

Outlet: News 95.7 Halifax Format: Radio Interviewer: Sheldon MacLeod

         

                                                                                           

                                                                   With Canada’s baby boomers getting set to retire and the growth of a number of industries requiring skilled workers, a major shift in the labour force is on the horizon. One group is trying to make sure Canada’s aboriginal communities are at the forefront.

According to the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, roughly 317,000 new skilled workers will be needed in Canada by 2017 to replace retirees and meet new demand. Construction on energy projects will be a major part of that need. One of the mandates of the council is bridging the gap between the trades sector and aboriginal communities. The organization is hosting a luncheon in Halifax on Thursday called “Trades perspective: A look at the road ahead to bolster aboriginal participation” to facilitate building mutually beneficial relationships between corporate Canada and aboriginal communities. The keynote speaker is Christopher Smillie, senior adviser of government relations and public affairs with Canada’s Building Trades Union. Smillie is slated to discuss issues like how to engage aboriginal communities to participate in the trades; recruitment, hiring and training of aboriginal people looking to enter the construction workforce; and retention plans within the trades sector. J.P. Gladu, president and CEO of the council, said Canada’s aboriginal communities represent a large, untapped workforce that could benefit the trades sector in a big way. “In the next 10 years, we’re going to lose 25 per cent of our workforce in the trades sector, and on the other side of that we’ve got Canada’s fastest(-growing), youngest demographic,” Gladu told The Chronicle Herald. “Half of (the aboriginal) age demographic is below 26 … and it’s growing.” Gladu called the relationship between the aboriginal population and corporate Canada fragmented, and said the only way to strengthen that bond is to facilitate communication.

“Rebuilding that trust is going to take a long time and the challenge is that we’re running out of time when it comes to some of the major projects that are happening in this country,” he said. “Without good relationships between the indigenous community and corporate Canada, our efficiency as global competitors, and our ability to get projects done, becomes hampered.” Moreover, he said, there is major government infrastructure spending on the horizon — $250 million over five years in Nova Scotia alone — which could benefit from a skilled aboriginal workforce. Gladu said he believes all levels of government should play a role in supporting the relationship between corporations and aboriginal communities. “This game of Ping-Pong in this country between the provinces and the feds and indigenous people being in the middle has to stop, and industry is starting to understand this.” Statistics from the Nova Scotia Office of Aboriginal Affairs website cite the unemployment rate for people living on-reserve in the 2006 census at 24.6 per cent compared with 9.1 per cent for all Nova Scotians. The unemployment rate for all people of aboriginal identity was 15.5 per cent. According to the Labour and Advanced Education Department, as of April 30, there were 161 aboriginal apprentices in Nova Scotia, and the province is looking to increase that number. “The agency is working with industry and stakeholders to engage communities and employers to increase participation and certification in apprenticeship training,” a department spokeswoman said in an e-mail.

There are already a number of initiatives in Nova Scotia to connect aboriginal youth to the trades sector. The province is working with First Nation communities to provide pre-apprenticeship opportunities in trades such as carpentry, bricklaying and ironworking, and preparing to offer certification examination refresher training in Cape Breton and Antigonish for interested members of the aboriginal community. At the high school level, a program called Finding Your Inspiration connects aboriginal students with job shadowing opportunities and post-secondary institutions. The Labour and Advanced Education Department said of the 161 aboriginal apprentices in Nova Scotia, nine per cent are women. Nationally, Gladu said, women make up only four per cent of apprenticeship tradespeople, making them a major untapped workforce potential. “We’ve got to start being more strategic in this country and take this chance to influence corporate Canada to recognize this as an asset to invest in,” he said. “We need to partner with governments to ensure the indigenous population is prepared. When that happens, Canada becomes a stronger country.” The luncheon is taking place at the Westin Nova Scotian at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday.               Please find this article online below:  http://thechronicleherald.ca/business/1293723-first-nations-group-focuses-on-job-demand

                                                                    Please find this interview online below:  https://www.dropbox.com/s/0z4qy695acv920r/CBC%20Information%20Morning%20-%20JP%20Gladu%20June%2018.wav?dl=0

              New prospects for the CCAB Thursday, June 18, 2015  

   Heidi talks to JP Gladu, the president and CEO of the CCAB, to discuss the boom in job prospects for Aboriginals in 2017.             Please find this interview online below:  http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=638195

                   

MORNING NEWS HALIFAX  

   CCAB President and CEO J.P. Gladu Thursday, June 18, 2015                Please find this interview online below:  http://globalnews.ca/video/2061600/ccab-president-and-ceo-j-p-gladu

         

                                                                    Please find this interview online below:  https://www.dropbox.com/s/r9cyizwy3qd8p13/957%20News%20-%20JP%20Gladu%20June%2018.mp3?dl=0

                         June 18, 2015

Trades Perspective – A Look at the Road Ahead to Bolster Aboriginal Participation

The Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business continues 2015 Luncheon series in Halifax on

Thursday, June 18, 2015 The Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) hosted today an Aboriginal Business Luncheon: Trades perspective: A look at the road ahead to bolster Aboriginal participation. Construction on energy projects are a major source of employment for skilled workers within Canada. According to research from the Construction Sector Council, approximately 317,000 new workers will be needed in Canada by 2017 to replace retirees and meet new demand. Canada’s baby boomers, are preparing to leave the workforce and retire, opening up many positions within the trades sector. These openings will force big changes within Canada’s construction industry, specifically on how they recruit, hire and train new groups of people. Among these new groups of people ready to enter the construction industry, you will find many skilled Aboriginal workers.

This keynote presentation discussed: • how to engage Aboriginal communities to participate in the

trades and fill the projected job openings; • recruitment, hiring and training of Aboriginal peoples looking to

enter the construction workforce; and • discussion of retention plans within the trades sector The luncheon keynote address was presented by Christopher Smillie, Senior Advisor, Government Relations and Public Affairs, Canada’s Building Trades Union and Jean Paul Gladu, President & CEO, CCAB             The luncheon took place at the Westin Hotel Nova Scotian in Halifax, Thursday, June 18, 2015 from 11:30am – 1:30pm. For Media inquiries, please contact: Chris Allicock Media Specialist Amberlight Productions Tel: 416 694 3131 Email: chris@amberlight.ca        Please find this interview online below:  http://nationtalk.ca/story/trades-perspective-a-look-at-the-road-ahead-to-bolster-aboriginal-participation

                                                                  JP Gladu Interview with Trina Roache 15:28 – 16:23 of newscast         Please find this interview online below: http://aptn.ca/news/newscasts/  

                                                         Businessman J.P.Gladu APTN/Photo Trina Roache APTN National News An Aboriginal business leader says the economy is a vital path for reconciliation with First Nations in Canada. J.P. Gladu was in Halifax recently talking to industry, government and Mi’kmaq and Maliseet peoples. He heads the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business. Some of the 94 recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission focus on economic development.

They call for “meaningful consultation” and “equitable access to jobs, training, and education opportunities in the corporate sector.” “The business lens is a way we can help reconcile,” said Gladu. “We can help empower our communities by providing direct source contracting, we can get more training in front of our people, as I mentioned we’ve got a strong demographic, that is a real asset to Canada but we’ve got be able to put the resources behind it to make it become a reality.” The news for First Nation economies on reserve has been bleak. A recent report by the National Aboriginal Economic Development Board (NAEDB) points out a widening gap for First Nations, with on reserve communities faring the worst. It puts the average income for Aboriginal people at $20, 000 a year, which is $10,000 lower than non-Aboriginal workers. The employment rate on-reserve sits at just 35 per cent. In the report, Chair of the NAEBD Chief Clarence Louie writes that “the opportunities for economic development for Aboriginal people today are greater than ever.” Yet at the same time, “Aboriginal people in Canada are currently not on track to achieving parity with non-Aboriginal Canadians.” Gladu says while Indigenous communities have been marginalized, he’s sees things changing for the better. He says First Nations just have to remember their own history. “We used to be amazing entrepreneurs back in the days of the fur trade, so we’re embracing that entrepreneurial spirit. There are a number of impediments in our way and past challenges that we’re still dealing with,” said Gladu. “But the timing is good.

The idea of trades and skill development are top of mind especially with the Truth and Reconciliation Report that just came out so Canada is listening.” The Membertou First Nation in Nova Scotia is bucking the trend. The urban reserve situated in Sydney, Cape Breton, is an economic driver for the region. A growing business park features a mix of big box and small retail stores, a Hampton Inn Hotel, and the ever-popular Tim Horton’s. Chief Terry Paul’s office on the third floor of Membertou’s Trade and Convention centre overlooks the construction of a new sports centre. “Membertou’s own revenues top $100 million,” said Paul. “We employ 700 people at peak seasons. Those are all people with jobs, who pay taxes, or buy consumer goods, pumping more money into the economy.” Half of those jobs are non-Mi’kmaw people coming to work on the reserve. A sure sign that times have changed. But Paul said there’s still a lot of work to do, starting with public perception. It’s shifting, but he still runs into a lack of understanding. “People think we’re getting something the rest aren’t, that we don’t want to work, that we don’t pay taxes,” said Paul. “We do what needs to be done to educate the public. We are good to deal with, we improve the economy, improve the tax base of the city. The jobs here? The municipality benefits more than ourselves. We contribute.” The biggest obstacle to success for aboriginal business is the Indian Act. In the early 1900s, Indian Affairs bureaucrat Duncan Campbell Scott was famously quoted as saying he wanted to “get rid of the Indian problem.”

“Despite all the barriers, we’re still here,” said Paul. “Making a living. We’ve adapted.” And now, Membertou is working on how to rid of the problematic Indian Act. “The Indian Act gets in the way,” said Paul. “Always the first thing to come up, it’s hard to do anything. The land designation process is ridiculous. A major hold up is in the addition to reserves. It takes four and a half years, on average, to designate lands. Compared to six months for the municipality.” Paul borrows a popular quote, “We need to move at the speed of business.” And the Indian Act is an albatross in more ways than one. “As we know, we can’t leverage, there’s no collateral,” said Gladu. “It’s really difficult to create or attract investment in our communities if there’s no safeguards to protect the investment.” Under Section 89 of the Indian Act, reserve lands or assets can’t be mortgaged or levied. It’s an issue that came up at the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development back in February. Andrew Beynon, Deputy Minister for the Lands and Economic Development with the department, said the provision “was originally intended to prevent unscrupulous creditors from taking advantage of individuals, but it has now become a key obstacle to raising capital.” Beynon outlined some of the “legislative tools” government has come up with to get around the Indian Act, namely a number of other Acts, including First Nations Land Management and Fiscal Management.

Membertou, like many First Nations, is developing its own land use codes. So the band can decide what it will do with its own land. So it can continue to take advantage of its urban location, with a new highway interchange to draw in more traffic, more business. Location, Location, Location. If the real estate adage rings true, many reserves are remote or tucked away off the beaten path, plagued by poverty and high unemployment. Reserves are hemmed-in by artificially drawn boundaries. In Mi’kmaq and Maliseet territories in the Atlantic provinces, the Peace and Friendship Treaties never ceded land. Tripartite negotiations are on-going in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and PEI to establish how those rights to land and resources will play out in a modern context. “The Treaties open up huge possibilities,” said Paul, who’s also co-chair of the Assembly of Nova Scotia Chiefs. “On the table – ownership, employment, royalties, investments. The Supreme Court of Canada has told us our rights are real. Let us be part of the economy.” Paul said it’s vital for First Nations to develop their own-source revenues. Whether it’s an urban reserve pursuing commercial opportunities, or a remote First Nation utilizing its natural resources. “As Aboriginal People we recognize the value is our land,” said Gladu. “And that’s always been our starting point, as people, that’s where we get our sustenance from, and that needs to be on the table in negotiations when we talk to industry and government. Respecting the treaties, respecting our rightful place in Canada as a First People and leveraging our natural resources together. That’s our catalyst. That’s our starting point and that’s our strength.”

But the reality is First Nations are often excluded from Canada’s economy, said Paul. And it shows. “Most times on reserve, standards of living, education levels, housing conditions, poverty, all in the negative,” he said. Paul, who sits on the National Aboriginal Economic Development Board, said, “There’s all kinds of money out there. But First Nations only have access to 0.1 per cent of one per cent of the available capital in Canada.” At the House of Commons Committee meeting for Aboriginal Affairs, Beynon said, despite the challenges, “There really should be some tremendous optimism. You have a growing reserve land base. You have greater closeness of First Nations with neighbouring communities as they expand. You have more and more experience of many First Nations with heavy-duty commercial activity. You have an increasing generation of tax revenues and this initial experience with bond financing.” “I would suggest again moving away from the Indian Act restrictions, which I think we’ve talked about both on lands and moneys management,” said Beynon. “We need to build more capacity and stable capacity among First Nation governments. We have programming where we try to do that. The more that they have the experience, and the direct capacity and knowledge of financial systems, the more effective they’re going to be at unlocking these opportunities.” Everyone agrees – First Nations have great demographics. A fast growing young population. The statistics show that 400, 000 aboriginal youth will enter the Canadian workforce by 2025. That potential is tarnished by the stats on education.

The NAEBD reports a high graduation rate of 62 per cent. It is still lower than the mainstream Canadian population, but an improvement from levels a decade ago. The TRC has called on Ottawa to close the gap on education and employment by coughing up more money for First Nations. In Membertou, gains in the economic base translate into better education. The First Nation boasts a new $8 million state-of-the-art, eco-friendly elementary school. And a 100 per cent high school graduation rate in recent years. As the band’s economy has taken flight, said Paul, so has community pride. And he sees it at the annual youth conference Membertou hosts. “At first heard they all wanted to work for the band or be chief. And that’s great,” said Paul. “But now we’re hearing lawyers, accountants, police officers, and that’s even better.” Paul’s own son is in the third-year of a commerce degree. “And I asked him what he’d like to do, would he come back to the reserve? And he said, no Dad, I want to see the world, I hear the euro needs help,” said Paul. Paul laughs. But he’s proud. And though he hopes his son brings his smarts back to the reserve someday, he appreciates the “sky-is-the-limit” attitude.              Please find this article online below:  http://aptn.ca/news/2015/06/26/boosting-first-nation-economies-part-reconciliation/

                                                                                           

Supplementary Press Coverage

                  The federal government touted a number of initiatives Wednesday for improving First Nations’ well-being but could not explain why a new report showed the prosperity gap between aboriginal and non-aboriginal people was widening in some cases.

The report, released by the federally appointed National Aboriginal Economic Development Board, found that First Nations living on reserves had shown the least improvement. Relying on 2006 and 2011 census data, the report found the non-aboriginal employment rate went from 62.7 per cent to 61.2 per cent. For First Nations living on reserves, it dropped from 39 per cent to 35.4 per cent. Large disparities in income levels remained. In 2010, average income was $18,586 among aboriginals on reserves and $30,266 off reserves. For non-aboriginals, the average was $41,052.    Some progress was seen in the Inuit and Metis populations. Inuit unemployment declined slightly. The average income gap between Metis and non-aboriginals also shrank. Still, the goal set by the board three years ago to close the gap in economic outcomes by 2022 is far from being realized, the report found. “It is clear that there is still much work to be done before aboriginal people are in the same position as other Canadians to contribute to and benefit from one of the world’s wealthiest economies,” Clarence Louie, chief of B.C.’s Osoyoos Indian Band and the board’s chair, said in a statement.  The report called on the federal government to come up with specific strategies for closing the prosperity gap for First Nations on reserves, make sure aboriginal people have access to high-quality education and tailor skills development and training to the unique needs of aboriginals.

“Our government agrees that economic development is key to improving living conditions of Aboriginal peoples,” read a statement by the office of Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt. It said the government had enhanced income assistance through the First Nations Job Fund and expanded opportunities for First Nations to manage reserve land and resources, but did not specifically address the findings of the report. Bob Nault, a former Liberal Minister of Indian Affairs, said many reserves still lack basic infrastructure, which is hindering economic development. “If you don’t have basic infrastructure, sewer, water, roads, grids, the expectation of being able to create an economy are very slim to none,” he said. Besides helping to improve infrastructure, the government needs to make more “discretionary funding” available for small business loans and capital improvements. “If we want First Nations to be partners, whether it’s in mining, forestry or pipelines, some of these First Nations are not capable of putting all the money on the table. They need some help from government,” Nault said. J.P. Gladu, president of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, said he is encouraged by growing partnerships on resource projects — the report said over $675 billion worth of natural resource opportunities are expected across Canada

over the next 10 years, most of which will be located on or near traditional lands — but said more needs to be done to convince young, educated aboriginal people to return to their communities. “I’m an example. We go out as people and get educated. We get our skills and training, our advanced degree, but there’s nothing to draw us back to the community. There’s no economic base so we continue to drain our communities of our best and brightest,” he said. “If there’s no job, why would I go back to my community? That’s the case for many First Nations in the country.” National Post                       Please find this article online below:  http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/government-stumped-as-report-shows-aboriginal-wage-gap-widening-unemployment-growing  Please find this article picked up online below:  

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/business/Government+stumped+aboriginal+wage+widens/11146442/story.html#__federated=1