INDIGENOUS INITIATIVES

 

Powering the future by fostering sustainable growth for our partners and the communities we work in!

 
A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT
 
“As a leader, we recognize that Indigenous people and their lands are unique in Canada, with distinct legal, historical and cultural significance. Our success depends on building long-term partnerships and a culture of sharing alongside Indigenous people and communities.”  Damian Kulasingham

A UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP

Every Indigenous community is unique – with different experiences, histories, social customs, traditions, governance and social circumstances. What they share is an interest in making decisions that bring sustainable benefits, both now and in the future. Cormorant recognizes that success depends on building long-term partnerships and reinforcing a culture of sharing alongside Indigenous people – Inuit, Métis and First Nations.

As a company, we understand the challenges these communities face and recognize the need for frequent, open and honest communication.

Responsibly delivering on a variety of projects, we are proud to support the growth of and strengthen the communities we work in, while fostering opportunities for training and local initiatives that create a future for Indigenous youth.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE RELATIONS POLICY

Cormorant Utility Services recognizes the value of ensuring all of our employees, as well as the contractors and consultants we hire, are aware of and adhere to our Indigenous Relations Policy. It is intended to provide a framework for the way we initiate, maintain and manage our relationships with Canada’s Indigenous people. Therefore, Cormorant commits to:

RELATIONSHIPS

Cormorant will respect the desire of Indigenous communities to undertake work on reserve lands, traditional lands, land claim and Métis Settlement areas. Cormorant will look for capable and competitive businesses from these lands with whom to work and partner in furtherance of these communities’ goals.

RESPECT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Recognize and respecting the unique cultural and historical characteristics and connections to the land that Indigenous people possess. Cormorant commits to respect Indigenous concerns regarding the environmental impact of our activities and will work with the involved parties to ensure that our projects result in the absolute minimum environmental impact.

HONOUR TREATY LANDS & RIGHTS

Understanding that Indigenous peoples may have shared or have overlapping interests in their traditional territories.

ENGAGEMENT

Before consulting with the community, Cormorant will define and understand the activity and know the options and impacts in Indigenous communities.

COMMUNITY AGREEMENTS

Where appropriate, Cormorant will develop good-neighbour agreements with First Nations and Métis Settlements; and these agreements will be built on respect for the languages, customs, and political, social and cultural institutions of these communities.

VALUE INDIGENOUS BUSINESS & COMMUNITY LEADERS

This will aid Cormorant in understanding the potential impact of our work within these communities, assist in developing institutional awareness of and respect for the values and beliefs of Indigenous peoples, and facilitate partnerships, mentorships and employment programs with Indigenous organizations.

PRELIMINARY INDIGENOUS ENGAGEMENT & INCLUSION PLAN

INDIGENOUS ENGAGEMENT OVERVIEW

The Cormorant Utility Services’ Project Team continuously strives to develop and maintain strong relationships with Indigenous communities through ongoing, transparent, and effective communication and engagement. Throughout all projects, the Project Team ensures community consultation and engagement is transparent, occurs frequently and satisfies the project team’s requirements. The Project Team recognizes that Indigenous peoples and their lands are unique in Canada, with distinct legal, historical and cultural significance. Our success depends on building long-term partnerships and reinforcing a culture of sharing alongside Indigenous people.

Cormorant Utility Services demonstrates a progressive view toward engagement, consultation, and actively seeking opportunities to create and optimize socio-economic benefits for Indigenous people. We believe that Indigenous engagement practices need to be tailored to the specific needs and opportunities surrounding our project sites.

OUR VALUES

People, our greatest asset and trusted key stakeholders, are motivated and guided by:

  • Zero harm: To our employees, customers, and the environment.
  • Innovation: We must strive every day to find a better way.
  • Trust & Integrity: Earned through fairness, honesty, empathy, respect, and open communication.
  • Leadership: Individually taking responsibility and accountability for the success of our company.
  • Customers: The reason for our existence, we will exceed expectations by planning and building right with pride, the first time.