inside this issue greetings from chief and council of the eagle mcfn newsletter... · 1 | p a g e...
TRANSCRIPT
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Greetings from Chief and Council The first four months of 2013 have been a busy time for the Mikisew Cree
First Nation, and the Council and myself. Early in January, I travelled to
Ottawa to file our application for a judicial review of Bills C-38 and C-45
that were passed by the Federal Government. These two Bills directly
impact our ability to protect the environmental integrity of our reserve
lands and traditional territories. The Council and I want to ensure that the
MCFN is able to continue to exercise its Treaty rights in this regard. We
expect to go to court in this regard early in the fall of 2013.
Other activities include the work that the MCFN Education and
Governance Committees are doing, the Interim Benefit Agreement
negotiations with industry, and the MCFN Trust Deed. The evaluation of
Community Services is now also well underway. The Council and I are
also working with legal counsel on our Declaration of Claim to the
Specific Claims Tribunal in relation to the Agricultural Benefits Claim.
We hope that this edition of The Call of the Eagle will give your more
information about what is happening within the First Nation and some of
our key initiatives. If you have ideas about the different kinds of articles
you would like to see, please contact the MCFN Senior Advisor or the
MGC Marketing Manager.
In closing, I would like to extend our sympathy the families of George
Cardinal, George Paquette, and Charlie Marten. They will be missed.
-Chief Steve Courtoreille
MCFN Chief & Council
Spring/Summer 2013
Inside this Issue…
Page 1- Greetings from
Chief & Council
Page 2- Housing
Update/MCFN Key
Contact Information
Page 3 - Fort Chipewyan
Elders Care Centre/Allison
Bay Camp Update
Page 4 - MCFN Trust/
Sodexo Employment
Page 5 - GIR
Update/Employment
Page 6 - Governance &
Education Committee
Update
Page 7- Labor Pool
Analysis/Message MCFN
HR/Employment
Page 8 - Community
Bulletin
Page 9- MGC Key
Contact Information
Page 10 - Message from
MGC Chairman & CEO/
Joint Venture Update
Page 11- Message from
MGC Human Resources
Page 12- Mikisew Days
Information Poster
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For the housing programs
listed, we encourage all
Mikisew Members who have
any questions/concerns,
please feel free to stop by the
Mikisew Tech office, call
Kevin ‘Ski’ at (780) 697-3556
or email Kevin at:
HOUSING UPDATE -Kevin’Ski’Marten, Property Manager
First Nation Development Homes
7 homes are in final stages of
completion
and should be available
for occupancy mid June
2013.
CMHC RRAP
Mikisew has been
approved for 4
RRAP’s and 1 HASI
for this fiscal year.
Cabin Packages
This will be the 3rd
year for
the Cabin Packages Program. This
fiscal year 10 allocations will be from Fort Chipewyan
and 2 allocations will be from out of
town. All applicants will have to re-apply this year.
25/75 Program
This will be the 4th
year for the 25/75 program and currently we are
accepting applications.
Home Ownership Incentive Program
The HIP program is accepting applications for the year 2013/2014 fiscal
year. We have doubled the HIP grants from 6 to 12 last year and we are
accepting 12 applicants for this year. The HIP from the 2011/2012 and
2012/2013 grants were approved but not distributed as of to date.
Other Housing items We currently have one staff unit open at this time and would like to keep it
vacant for MCFN employees that come in from out of town to do work for
MCFN. Also for visitors that come do workshops or community events.
MCFN Key Contacts
Main Office Mikisew Cree First Nation Allison Bay Reserve #219
P.O Box 90,
Fort Chipewyan, AB
T0P 1B0
1-800-668-1634
Reception
Jennifer Courtoreille [email protected]
Executive Assistant –C&C
Bonnie Courtoreille [email protected]
Chief Executive Officer
George Poitras [email protected]
Senior Advisor – C&C
Trish Merrithew-Mercredi [email protected]
Membership Clerk
Judy Ann Cardinal [email protected]
Chief Financial Officer
Steve Wilde [email protected]
Elders Coordinator
Stella Marten [email protected]
Education Coordinator
Marylyn Simpson [email protected]
Employment Services
Irene Whitehead [email protected]
Community Services
Mary Simpson [email protected]
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FORT CHIPEWYAN ELDERS CARE CENTRE -Trish Merrithew-Mercredi, Senior Advisor to Chief & Council
As anyone who has driven down the main street in Fort Chipewyan
lately can tell you, work on the Elders Care Centre is proceeding
rapidly. Not only has the contractor torn down the old nursing
station and moved the brown house, they have poured the
foundation for the new building and finished framing it in.
Fillmore Construction, the general contractor, began work in late
February and with the warmer weather, have been working seven
days a week. What really catches your eye, is the teepee like
structure, which rises above the roof and has changed the skyline in
Fort Chipewyan forever.
Chief Courtoreille and the Council are very pleased with the
progress to date. The project manager, Western Health Planning
Associates, has been meeting regularly with Chief and Council, as
well as the Task Force, to ensure that the Centre reflects the health
and wellness needs of Elders in Fort Chipewyan. Barring any
unforeseen circumstances, the Chief and Council plan to officially
open the Centre in the spring of 2014. At the same time, efforts to
solicit funding from industry and other groups in the area has been
very successful and Chief Courtoreille and the Council have been
informed by oil sand companies that they will be making very
significant contributions to the First Nation in this regard. These
announcements will take place over the summer.
.
Mikisew Elder Joe Kaskamin
Elders Care Centre ‘Under Construction’
MCFN Photos 2013
In other related news, Chief and Council want to
congratulate the Mikisew Group of Companies on the
opening of the camp at Allison Bay. This facility was set up
to house and feed workers employed at the Centre by
Fillmore Construction and/or one of the sub-contractors and
can accommodate 14 people. It is managed by Laura
Martin and staffed by several other MCFN members.
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MCFN Community Trust -Trish Merrithew-Mercredi
Over the past several years, the Mikisew Cree First Nation has been
involved in a series of impact benefit negotiations with various oil sands
companies in the region, including Suncor, Dover, TOTAL, TransCanada,
Ivanhoe, Cenovus, and Sunshine. In the case of Shell Canada Energy,
Chief Courtoreille and his Council signed a Sustainability Agreement
(SA) with this company."
Under the terms of the agreement, Shell agreed to provide funding to the
MCFN for certain initiatives which are intended to reduce or offset the
negative impacts of resource development on the MCFN traditional lands.
This includes, environmental monitoring and reclamation, education and
training, business and employment opportunities, housing and
infrastructure development and leadership and managerial capacity
building, among others.
As part of the Agreement, the First Nation also committed to setting up a
Community Trust and to selecting an Administrative Trust and Nation
Trustees to manage this Trust. The Initial Administrative Trustee will be
Lisa Ethans, a Senior Partner with Deloitte Wealth Management. The
Board of Nation Trustees will include between 7 and 9 Mikisew members
who have been elected by the membership. Chief Courtoreille and his
Council are currently setting up a nominating committee who will oversee
this process. The members of the Committee will be the CEO George
Poitras, and two members selected from the membership.
It is important to note the funds from Shell must flow to the Trust and can
only be used to for the uses permitted in the SA with Shell. The Trust
will be at arms length from the Chief and Council and these funds cannot
be distributed via a payout to the members or used to provide loans to
individual members or pay the salaries of Chief and Council. It is also
important to note that the funds and assets that are settled on the Trust
must be invested in such a way as to ensure that there is a legacy fund
established for the First Nation after the payments eventually cease under
the Sustainability Agreement.
In the fall, when Chief Courtoreille and his Council meet with the
members in Fort Chipewyan and the other communities, they intend to
provide the membership with more information and to seek nominations to
the Board of Nation Trustees.
Sodexo Employment Opportunities
Assistant Rooms Division
Manager
Retail & Recreation
Manager
Resident District
manager & Admin Clerk
Human Resources
Assistant
Front Desk Attendant
Food Services Manager
Assistant General
Manager
If you are interested
please submit your
resume & cover letter to:
Email: [email protected]
Fax: (780) 669-5826
***Please indicate on your
application or resume if you are a member of MCFN***
QUESTIONS? Contact MGC Human
Resources Department at
(780) 469-3313 Ext# 227
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Government and Industry Relations (GIR) -Melody Lepine, Director
The GIR continues to manage very important resource development
consultation matters by relying on direction and key decisions from our
leadership. The GIR has some new staff that recently joining our teams,
Dean Hollman and Clifford Starr are both consultation coordinators with
the GIR. Consultation coordinators at the GIR are assigned to oversee all
consultation with specific companies. For example Dean is assigned to
Suncor, Total, Trancanada; Cathleen with
TECK, Syncrude, CNRL; Cliff with
Cenovus and Shell. We have one vacant
consultation coordinator position that we
plan to fill in the near future.
We also have two legal interns for the
summer, Delaney Greig and Georgia
Lloyd-Smith. Both interns are assisting in
developing procedures for consultation,
agreement tracking and hearing
preparations.
Melanie Dene has transitioned into a new
position of Consultation from Executive
Assistant. We are also sad to have seen
Sebastien Fekete leave us in early April and Melanie Simpson leaving as
she relocates to Edmonton. We wish them both all the best in their future
endeavours.
The GIR is also undertaking Land Use Planning for our traditional
territory and will be conducting workshops, meetings and proposing a
working group to provide direction in forming the Land Use Planning
process
GIR Key Contacts
Melody Lepine [email protected]
Cathleen O'Brien [email protected]
Melanie Dene [email protected]
Sally Whiteknife [email protected]
Ivy Wigmore [email protected]
Melanie Simpson [email protected]
Dean Holman [email protected]
Clifford Starr [email protected]
Ronna Halliday [email protected]
Jocelyn Marten [email protected]
GIR Employment Opportunities:
If you are interested please
submit your resume &
cover letter to: [email protected]
Fax: (780) 715-4098
MCFN GOVERNMENT
& INDUSTRY
RELATIONS (GIR)
Contact us at:
MCFN GIR
Suite# 206 9401-
Franklin Avenue
Fort McMurray, AB
T9H 3Z7
Tel: (780) 714-6500
Fax: (780) 715-4098
The GIR will develop a more detailed
newsletter for the Mikisew Cree First Nation
this Fall/Winter 2013.
Administrative Assistant
Consultation Coordinator
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MCFN Governance Committee Update
Pictured Standing from left to right: George Poitras, Robert Grandjambe, Kathy
Roy, Joe Gibot, Sitting from left to right: Lena Lepine, Councillor Juanita
Whitehead & Marlene Poitras.
Visit us online!
www.mikisewcree.ca
Get Social! Mikisew Cree First
Nation is now on
Facebook!
Search: Mikisew Cree First
Nation and ‘Like’ us!
The MCFN Education Committee
has been set up by the Chief and
Council to undertake the
research and planning for the
new K - 12 school which will be
located on-reserve and operated
by the MCFN. We will provide
you with further details on the
work of this Committee in the next
‘Call of the Eagle’ newsletter.
CONGRATULATIONS!
To all the MCFN
GRADUATES of 2013!
We are so PROUD of YOU!
The Governance Committee has been meeting monthly since February 2013
and is established to provide input and guidance from the membership at large
to Chief Courtoreille and his Council on matters of governance. This includes
conducting reviews of MCFN governance frameworks including bylaws,
codes, regulations or policies.
To-date, the Governance Committee has completed a thorough review of the
MCFN Customary Election Regulations and will now be required to review
the same with legal counsel. Once this is complete, the proposed changes will
be brought to the general membership for discussion and then finally a
referendum vote on the proposed changes. We anticipate the information
meetings will occur in September-October 2013 and a referendum vote in
November 2013. If membership approves the updated Customary Election
Regulations, the new Regulations will be in effect for the June 2014 Chief &
Council elections.
On behalf of Chief Courtoreille, we welcome the Governance Committee's
work to-date and are pleased to introduce you to them.
Pictured Standing from left to right: George Poitras, Robert Grandjambe, Kathy Roy, Joe Gibot Sitting from left to right: Lena Lepine, Juanita Whitehead, and Marlene Poitras. Missing from photo is Rita Marten.
Pictured sitting from left to right: Margaret Whiteknife, Trish Merrithew-Mercredi , Terese Tuccaro, Rita Marten, Margo Vermillion, Marlyn Simpson & Roy Vermillion
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Labour Pool Analysis
- Trish Merrithew-Mercredi
As we all know, First Nations and other Aboriginal peoples in Canada are
one of the fastest growing groups. Yet, they continue to be under-
represented in the work force right across Canada and often find it difficult
to secure viable employment opportunities. This is particularly true in the
oil sands region of northeastern Alberta.
When Chief Courtoreille and the Council were elected, one of their first
steps was to develop a comprehensive Strategic Plan to guide the First
Nation. Part of that Plan, which was endorsed by the Chief and Council,
addressed the need to support the members to take advantage of different
employment, professional development, and educational and training
opportunities in the Region.
To that end, the Chief and Council are pleased to announce they have set
up a Labour Pool Analysis Study, which will collect and examine detailed
information about MCFN membership education and skills training,
employment history, labour market participation rates, and demographic
characteristics, which will be used to create an electronic data base,
develop new training strategies and other recommendations, and inform
new and/or existing industry and government partnerships.
The Study, which is being funded by the First Nation, MCFN Government
and Industry Relations, Athabasca Tribal Council, and the Alberta
Government Human Services will start in late May. The Coordinator,
Margaret Whiteknife, will work with the MCFN Senior Advisor on the
project and they hope to complete the project by January 2014. There will
be several short-term employment opportunities created for MCFN
members who would like to work as a research assistant on the project
(these will be posted in the near future).
A project like this requires the input of the membership if it is to be
successful. As the Study ramps up, the team will be developing a survey
and face to face interviews which will be used to collect baseline
information from the membership in Fort Chipewyan, Edmonton, Fort
McMurray, Fort Smith, and High Level. Further details will posted on the
MCFN Website and the MCFN Call of the Eagle Newsletter.
Message from MCFN
Human Resources -Lena Lepine MCFN encourages the
development of the nation by
encouraging employment for
Mikisew members. Qualified
and experienced Mikisew
members will have priority in
all hiring. Most positions need
a minimum grade 12
diplomas or GED and a
driver’s license is an asset.
Mikisew believes treating
employees with respect and is
committed to providing fair
and equitable terms and
conditions of employment. In
ensuring a high level of
service and programs to its
membership MCFN attains this
goal through the support of
trained, competent and
motivated employees.
Through standardized
procedures MCFN ensures the
smooth functioning of Human
Resources and employs
people that will cultivate an
effective, efficient and
productive workplace.
You may send your resume to the office,
which will be kept on file for six months, in
case something comes that suits your
qualifications.
If you need more information or have any
questions please contact Lena at:
MCFN Director Human Resources
Phone: 780-697-3740 or 1-800-668-1634
Fax: 780-697-3826
Email: [email protected]
Current postings: Safety Officer
Trainee, Building Supplies
Manager, Communications
Officer, High School Summer
Students.
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Community Bulletin
Shirley Ann Waquan Missing since July 01, 2007
Listen to help us find Justice for
Amber Alyssa Tuccaro KARE Investigators are asking the public’s help in
identifying the voice of an unknown male who police believe was the last person to see Amber. To listen
to the audio, visit: www.kare.ca www.albertamissinfpersons.ca
CALL INVESTIGATORS IMMEDIATELY IF YOU
RECOGNIZE THE VOICE: 1-877-412-KARE (5273) or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS(8171)
Project KARE in partnership with the IAAW, MCFN, Stolen Sisters Movement,
Métis Child & Family Services, present:
Safe Communities Initiative 9:00 A.M, Wednesday, June 5 2013
Mamawi Hall, Fort Chipewyan, AB
Please join us for a day of guest speaker presentations and group discussions on
community safety. Free event-Open to the public
The `Safe Communities Initiative’ education & awareness project was created to better inform communities about the disproportionate number of missing and murdered Métis, Inuit, Non Status and First Nations women and girls across Canada. The Native Women’s Association of
Canada reports that Indigenous women aged 25 -44 are five times more likely than other Canadian women (of the same age) to die as a result of violence.
Feedback from this pilot project will help determine what will be delivered in other Indigenous communities across the province.
Shirley Ann Waquan was last seen in
Fort McMurray on July 01, 2007. She was 39 years old at the time of her disappearance. Shirley Ann is the mother of Jen and Shain Waquan and daughter of Albina Waquan.
Please, if you have any information regarding Shirley’s disappearance
please contact the Fort McMurray RCMP Detachment at (780) 799-8850 or call Crime
Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS(8171).
http://www.albertamissingpersons.ca/images/stories/library/data_files/WAQUAN_Shirley.pdf
MCFN is currently working on a Mikisew data base of our
missing and murdered
community members. If you know someone who is
missing or a victim of a solved or unsolved homicide and would like
to add their name to this list, or just for more information on what can be done to address this serious
issue, please contact April Eve at [email protected]
National Chief Atleo & Chief Courtoreille at
the 2012 Stolen Sisters Awareness Walk &
Sisters In Spirit Vigil (Edmonton)
Participants of
the 2012
Stolen Sisters
Walk /Sisters in
Spirit Vigil
signing the
Native
Women
Association of
Canada’s
Public Inquiry
into missing
and
murdered
Indigenous
women &
girls.
Mikisew Group of Companies (MGC)
Key Contacts
Mikisew Group of Companies &
MGC Joint Ventures
Capital Region Office (Edmonton)
Scott Ferguson, CEO
Tel: (780) 469-3313 ext#224
Executive Assistant to Scott Ferguson,
CEO
Lorie Macko
Tel: (780) 469-3313 ext# 229
MGC Finance &
Beacon Hill Crossing LP
Randy Coley, CFO
Tel: (780) 469-3313 ext#222
Mikisew Energy Services Group
Mikisew Fleet Maintenance
Mikisew Ameco Group
Boris Lindemer, GM
Tel: (780) 791-2500
Fort Petroleum Corporation
William Tuccaro, GM
Tel: (780) 697-3633
Mikisew Industrial Supply Ltd.
Gord Jonah, GM
Tel: (780) 490-0255
Mikisew Group Of Companies
Head Office (Fort Chipewyan)
Myrna Antoine, Administrative Assistant
Tel: (780) 697-3740 ext# 225
MGC Human Resources
Capital Region Office
Ann Woltersdorf, HR Consultant
Tel: (780) 469-3313 ext# 227
MGC Human Resources
Fort McMurray
Michelle MacLennan ext #225
Recruitment & Retention Manager
Tel: (780) 791-2500
MGC Human Resources
Fort Chipewyan
Violet Whitehead
HRIS-Human Resources Coordinator
Tel: (780) 838-6202
Super 8 Hotel Fort McMurray
Patricia Oliver, GM
Tel: (780) 799-8450
MGC Marketing & Promotions
April Eve Wiberg, Manager
Tel: (780) 469-3313 ext# 237
General Inquiries
Message from the MGC Chairman -Councillor Billy Joe Tuccaro
Message from the MGC Chief Executive Officer -Scott Ferguson
Mission Statement for the
MCFN Group of Companies The Mikisew Group of Companies
Corporation was established to
create wealth for the First Nation
and employment and training
opportunities for the citizens, and
to build individual and collective
capacity. Although the Group of
Companies focus in the past was on
the oil and gas sector, it continues
to diversify into other business
sectors.
The mission of the Corporation is
to build companies that are
recognized nationally as being
reputable, strong, proud and
prosperous. It does this by
investing in a skilled and qualified
workforce, built on a solid
foundation of Board and
management expertise and good
communications.
Statement approved by
MCFN Chief & Council 2013
The Management Committee was set up sometime ago by Chief and Council to oversee the
Mikisew Group of Companies. The members include myself and Councilors Leonard
(Sonny) Piche and Phillip Tourangeau. As such, we work closely with the CEO Scott
Ferguson and other senior management.
Since our election, the Chief and Council have been concerned with the re-growth of the
companies and ensuring that the business and legal affairs of each entity are in order. I am
happy therefore to announce that we have reviewed and approved the Business Plans for each
of the companies, as well as the supporting Budgets.
I encourage all MCFN members to view the Plans at either the Capital Region Office in
Edmonton or the Administration Office in Fort Chipewyan. This is a positive development
and the Committee and I would like to thank all of the managers and general foremen.
Tansi, It has been just over a year since I came on Board with the Group of
Companies, and I am please to take part in what will be a regular newsletter. Over the course of the last year our focus has been on
improving the participation of Mikisew members throughout the group of
companies, tightening the management of the companies, and improving our efficiency in terms of costs and services. While we are not there yet,
we have made considerable improvements in all of these areas.
Throughout the coming year, our focus will continue to be on the
promotion and development of Mikisew members. There are already plans
in place for a number of training programs that will be scheduled and all members are encouraged to participate. The information will be posted on
the MGC’s website.
2012-13 was a solid year for the group of Companies, our overall profits
were up and we are on pace to grow further in 2014. We continue to seek
additional opportunities with existing and new customers, which we have been successful in doing so. To illustrate, I am pleased to announce the
signing of the Fort Hills Lodging agreement with our partners Sodexo
Canada. Beginning August 1, 2013 our new Joint Venture (Birch River Site Services) will take over the operations of this 2000 man camp. The
signing is a 7 year deal (with a possible 5 year extension) representing 600
million dollars in sales over the life of the agreement. This will mean the creation of roughly 10 administrative – management positions and another
150 unionized positions once the camp ramps up to full occupancy.
This year marks a new beginning for the group of companies. We will
have a full audit completed for the group of companies as we (like MCFN)
increase the transparency and move to an international accounting standard. We anticipate the completion of the audit in the summer of 2013,
at which time we will be sharing the results with MCFN members in the
various communities.
Our success is the result of our employees who are committed to our
success, practice safety and meet our objectives. We look forward to seeing you this summer.
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Message from MGC
Human Resources
The Mikisew Group of
Companies Corporation manages
business ventures that benefit the
Mikisew Cree First Nation. Current ventures include:
Mikisew Group of Companies
Wholly Owned
Mikisew Group of Companies
Jointly Owned
For more information on the
Mikisew Group of Companies &
joint ventures, please visit
www.mikisewgroup.com
We would like to introduce you to our Human Resources
Department for the Mikisew Group of Companies. Violet
Whitehead is our Human Resources Generalist/Mobilization
Coordinator.
She is based in Fort Chipewyan and can be reached at 780
838-6202. She works with the managers to coordinate
mobilization of our employees to our various sites and is
responsible for managing our statistics and other information
to assist us in ensuring that we continue to provide
employment opportunities for Mikisew Cree First Nation
members.
If you would like to send us your resume for a position we
are currently recruiting for or place your resume on file with
us for any future opportunities please email Violet at
[email protected]. You can also check out our current career
opportunities at http://www.mikisewgroup.com/ - “Job
Opportunities”. Michelle McLennan is our Manager,
Recruitment & Retention. She is based in Ft McMurray and
can be reached at 780 791-2500. Michelle works closely
with each of our managers to fill the career opportunities that
become available at our sites throughout the year. She is
responsible for participation in Career Fairs, ensuring that all
of our members have access to and are kept informed on our
career opportunities, through other media , other than our
website. Working closely with Violet, they coordinate
training courses that prepare and provide our members with
the skills required for our career openings at our sites. Some
of the training we continue to offer is Local 92 training,
CSTS, & OSSA.
Ann Woltersdorf is our Consultant. She heads up our human
resources department. Ann can be reached at 780 469-3313
ext 227. She is responsible for the overall programs, policies
and practices.
Our continued focal point is building capacity,
through a renewed focus on development and
training programs, providing career path and career
opportunities for Mikisew members.
Violet Whitehead Ann Woltersdorf Michelle MacLennan
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