b'CCAB RETROSPECTIVEto building the organization into what it is today. As CCAB celebrates its 40th anniversary, it is an opportune moment to look back and learn more about its story, as told by the people who lived it. The circumstances around CCABs founding have taken on an almost mythical status. Murray Koffler, founder of Shoppers Drug Mart and a prolific Canadian entrepreneur, played a key role. One cold spring day in 1982, in the basement of a hotel construction site in Calgary, Koffler came across an unhoused Indigenous family trying to keep warm. This made a profound impact on the entrepreneur. He learned that many Indigenous families were suffering severe economic hardships. So much so that business opportunities and employment were pushed to the side-lines as they struggled with the basicsMurray Koffler: the Shoppers Drug Mart founder played a pivotal role in the establishment of CCAB of life, perpetuating a cycle of poverty. Koffler was determined to do some-thing to improve the situation.Just prior to the founding of CCAB,co-chair and director of what was Moses led the establishment of theearlier CCABs Alberta Chapter. He Murray told me that when he got backCentral Interior Tribal Councils, whichwas very engaging, very committed, to Toronto a couple of days later, heeventually resulted in 23 tribal coun- and very willing to share his story and called a guy named Barney Danson,cils being formed across B.C. and manyjourney learning about Indigenous reflects Ron Jamieson, CCABs firstmore throughout Canada. people and striving to somehow make co-chair and a former senior exec- a difference in the world.utive in the finance sector. DansonIn a 2016 tribute article in the Merritt at that point was the federal MinisterHeraldafterhispassing,SpencerThis level of commitment to helping of Housing. Murray called him upCoutlee, a local businessman andIndigenous communities was unheard and raked him over the coals, saysgood friend of Moses, said, Don andof in the private sector at the time. As Jamieson, noting that Murray wasI shared many boardrooms togetherJamieson explains, Until that time, outraged that people were strugglingwith lawyers and highly prominentcorporations in Canada had paid with homelessness in the midst of suchcorporate leaders and governmentlittle to no attention to what was a prosperous economy.leaders, and Don earned the respecthappening in the Native communi-of every single person he ever didties. Their thinking was, Its a govern-Danson said to Murray theyre doingbusiness with. Moses also gained thement problem, let them figure it out. their best with what they had, andrespect of Koffler who saw the valueBut we knew we had to do something. he thought that the corporations inof Moses insights and tireless advo-Canada also had some responsibilitycacy for Indigenous rights and equity,Once CCNB was established in 1984, to do something about this, addswhich prompted Koffler to ask him tothe government was ready to take Jamieson. He put out a sort of chal- participate in the launch of what woulda more focused approach to solve lenge to Murray. become CCAB.the economic disparity. A few years later, in 1989, Ottawa announced So Koffler gathered together a group ofWhatcameoutofthatinauguralthe Canadian Aboriginal Economic influential Canadians and Indigenousmeetingheld at Kofflers summerDevelopment Strategy, an initiative leaders, including CCAB foundingretreatwas a consensus that some- that would outline areas of growth member Don Moses. Moses was thething had to be done and that the coun- and propose plans to address the long-time Chief of the Lower Nicolatrys business world had a responsi- disparity in Indigenous communities. Indian Band. He served his communitybility to become part of the solution.The strategy is still in place today.for 26 years on council as Chief andThe following year, that solution had a councillor. During the 1960s, Mosesname: the Canadian Council for NativeCanada, coming out of the mid-90s, helped organize the North AmericanBusiness (CCNB). wasstartingtounderstandthe Indian Brotherhood, and in 1969, hesignificance of Indigenous people, participated in forming the Union ofI recall Murray telling me the story,the power of Indigenous people, B.C. Indian Chiefs. says Marie Delorme, former CCABthe contributions to the economy, Aboriginal BUSINESS REPORT 21'