Manitoba Hydro augments Indigenous employment through the Keeyask Generation Project

The Keeyask Generation Project, a 695-megawatt (MW) hydroelectric generating station located in northern Manitoba, was developed by the Keeyask Hydropower Limited Partnership - a partnership between Manitoba Hydro and four Manitoba First Nations (Tataskweyak Cree Nation, War Lake First Nation, York Factory First Nation, and Fox Lake Cree Nation) . A wide range of measures were implemented to promote employment and training opportunities and to recruit project staff from within the four partner First Nations . Efforts included a pre-project training initiative, project employment preferences, the hiring of dedicated Job Seeker Managers in each community and community liaison workers at the worksite, the provision of on-site employee support services, as well as on-the-job and other on-site training and an employee-funded bursary program The Project well exceeded the employment targets set out in the partnership agreement, as well as those predicted in the project’s environmental assessment Forty per cent of total hires for the project are Indigenous, with half of those hires represented by members of the four partner First Nations On-the-job training opportunities also saw 344 Indigenous Peoples participating in site-based training in the designated (apprenticeship) and non-designated trades

Nalcor Energy invests in Indigenous employment

Nalcor Energy has provided over $6 9 million in cash and in-kind contributions to the Labrador Aboriginal Training Program (LATP) since 2010 Through the support of LATP, over 1,100 direct and indirect positions related to Nalcor Energy’s Lower Churchill Project were filled by Indigenous Peoples Through the Lower Churchill Project Impact and Benefits agreement with the Innu Nation, a hiring protocol was established that provides first opportunity for employment to qualified members of Innu Nation during the construction phase of the project Nalcor has also agreed to work with Nunatukavut to develop a strategy to encourage access to employment opportunities as part of a community development agreement with Nunatukavut Community Council .

Nova Scotia Power Inc. employs Mi’kmaw to monitor and protect archaeology

Nova Scotia Power Inc . (NSPI) is in the process of refurbishing several legacy hydro systems including Gaspereau Dam and Tusket Dam These projects have presented an opportunity to work closely with the local Mi’kmaw communities to build capacity to participate in the projects . In 2021 the Tusket Dam’s reservoir was drawn down to allow construction activities This drawdown exposed Mi’kmaw archaeology along the shoreline and NSPI collaborated with Acadia First Nation to train and hire approximately 10 Mi’kmaw monitors to have a presence on the land to deter archaeological looting in the area . At the Gaspereau refurbishment (called Pasi’tuek in Mi’kmaw), a significant amount of Mi’kmaw archaeology has been found at or near the dam NSPI has been working with the Assembly of NS Mi’kmaw Chiefs and nearby Mi’kmaw communities to include onsite Mi’kmaw monitors and Mi’kmaw archaeological technicians to participate in the archaeological mitigation

Ontario Power Generation advances employment through the Indigenous Opportunities Network

The Indigenous Opportunities Network (ION) supports Ontario Power Generation (OPG)’s commitment to increasing the representation of Indigenous employees across the company In 2022, the ION program placed 24 candidates, exceeding the original goal of 20 placements The program is working to place a minimum of 8 Indigenous candidates in the Introduction to Millwrighting (ITM) course being offered at Chalk River for Millwright Local 1410 OPG continues to work with Kagita Mikam Aboriginal Employment and Training, based in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, to help identify and assess potential ION candidates and provides support to address barriers to employment (e g , transportation costs, PP&E, union dues, additional training, and childcare) The current Labour Market Availability (LMA) target for Indigenous employees across OPG is 2 3% Since 2021, the percentage of employees who self-identify as Indigenous increased from 1 9% to 2 1% as of October 2022