On June 21, Resolute joins people across Canada in celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day, a day to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
Indigenous peoples are valued collaborators and partners for Resolute. We are committed to continuously strengthening the ongoing consultative and business relationships we share with close to 40 Indigenous communities and organizations in our operating regions. We do so through our Indigenous Peoples Policy, which outlines our commitment to building strong relationships, ensuring consultation with Indigenous communities, and developing shared economic prosperity.
In combination with our focus on creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, the policy encourages the hiring of Indigenous employees by the company and contractors, in order to build a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities in which we operate. We are actively engaged in providing training programs to help develop appropriate skills among Indigenous workers to qualify for local job opportunities.
In Ontario, we have contributed more than C$200,000 in support of Indigenous youth and entrepreneurship training since 2018, including $25,000 to launch a youth employment and training program in partnership with Wabigoon First Nation and $25,000 to Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation for the innovative school it has set up in Thunder Bay.
In Quebec, we contributed $3,000 to Pekuakamiulnuatsh Takuhikan First Nation in 2021 to support the development of a female entrepreneurship program, and in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec, we are collaborating with local and regional partners on a model for the professional integration of Indigenous workers in our woodlands operations.
Our focus on hiring Indigenous employees at a number of our operations continues to yield positive results. For example, the percentage of Indigenous workers at our Ontario sawmills was 20% in 2021, including 56% at our Ignace facility, while more than 80% of the employees at our Opitciwan (Quebec) sawmill – a joint venture with the Band Council of Obedjiwan – are Atikamekw.
These initiatives align with our broader efforts to transform our workforce into one that is more diverse and inclusive, where everyone is encouraged to reach their full potential.
To learn more, visit the Collaborations with Indigenous Peoples section of our website.
