b'PROGRESSIVE ABORIGINAL RELATIONSPAR was really the brainchild of a former CEO, Jocelyne Soulodre. She got thinking about how we could incentivize corporations to partner with Indigenous communities. So together with the board, we came up with PAR.Ron Jamieson Former CCAB Co-Chaircachet because corporations competeevolved. John Perry was the original PARfor Excellence, Canadas pre-eminent with each other to go higher and higherverifier, later training others and teachingrecognition of organizational excellence. into the program.adjudication. He also developed andThe vision I saw with PAR was for it to be wrote the PAR Committed program witha tool for the senior management team; It is no coincidence that the steadyCCAB in 2016, a three-phase processin particular, to think about the right stuff rise in interest in PAR has coincidedfor building a good foundation towardand implement methods that could help with growing awareness across theachieving positive results. country of the Truth and Reconciliationdevelop and nurture positive Indigenous Commissions 94 Calls to Action, releasedWhen CCAB was first conceiving PAR,relations within the company, Perry says. in 2015. In effect, says Whitecrow, PARJohn Perry was consulted due to hisI wrote an adjudication process for PAR, has become a tool of reconciliation.involvement with the Canada Awardsand I volunteered my time. Whitecrow emphasizes that the program is most successful because it allows orga-nizations to see its value as a roadmap to building a long-term strategy, which in turn creates a long-term socioeconomic impact. Were setting the company upOUR SERVICES:for success, she says. Its a system that [companies] navigate in achieving excel- Community Risk & Hazard lence in Indigenous relations. AssessmentsWhile there is still much work aheadDisaster and Emergency when it comes to full economic reconcili- Preparedness Planning & ation, the PAR program has made signif- Consultingicant headway in changing the narrative. Most importantly, says Jamieson, it keepsEmergency Exercise Development things moving in the right direction. The& Implementationintegration of corporate Canada and Indigenous people is not completeWildfire Community Assessments, yet, he observes, but its trending inFireSmart Assessments & the right way. Resiliency PlanningAboriginal Business Report recentlyResponse Support including spoke to some of the people at the heartICS Support & Relationship of PAR to explore why the program hasManagementbeenand remainssuch a powerful framework for economic reconciliation. GIS MappingPAR SUPPORTERS www.nikaanii.caJohn Perry and Ellen Perry of Perry & Associates have been PAR supporters since its inception. Over the years, theirCERTIFIEDinvolvement with the program has been780-860-9775admin@nikaanii.caconstant, although their roles have Aboriginal BUSINESS REPORT 41'