Nation and Mikisew Cree First Nation, which resulted in the largest First Nation bond in Canada’s history to purchase 49 per cent of the East Tank Farm Development – a move that secured revenue for the Fort McKay and Mikisew Cree communities for the next 25 years. Reflecting on this and other partner- ships in Suncor’s portfolio, Little offers, “This has been a win-win situation for both the First Nations communities and Suncor. When you engage Aboriginal peoples in your projects, you provide both an opportunity for that business to grow, learn and contribute to their community while also securing access to the goods you need and a skilled local workforce that is ready and eager to contribute.” Through CCAB’s Champions initiative, Little hopes to raise awareness for Aboriginal procurement by sharing Suncor’s experiences with Aboriginal businesses, its lessons learned, and the company’s passion for building fruitful and sustainable relationships. “The ultimate goal is to get others to join us on this journey and I’m confident we will do that,” he says. “There’s a real passion within the business community about making tomorrow better and advancing reconciliation. I believe there are a lot of companies like us out there who want to engage, but don’t know where to start. That’s where the Champions program comes in.” GAINING TRACTION The Strategy may still be in its infancy, but it’s already gaining traction. At the time of print, CCAB had brought other prominent Champions into the fold, including RBC. Commenting on the move, Kiruba Sankar, director CSR, global procurement with RBC, says: “At RBC, we strive to have an inclusive supply chain. Our goal is to advance equality of opportunity for Aboriginal business owners. Being a Procurement Champion at CCAB will allow RBC to reach our goal and help to educate the Aboriginal business community about supplier diversity and business opportunities at large corporations.” With more talks underway, the momentum is building. And that, insists Little, is a good thing for everyone. “The fact is that Aboriginal communities represent the fastest growing population in Canada. We need them and they need us, so now is the time to create economic recon- ciliation in this country by working We have a strong track record of working with First Nations to create innovative energy projects. Northland partners with Indigenous communities to develop, own and operate onshore wind farms and solar projects. Contact us to discuss your ideas. Aamjiwnaang First Nation Chief Joanne Rogers and Walpole Island Chief Daniel Miskokomon with Northland Power CEO John Brace at the opening of the 100 MW Grand Bend Wind Farm. CONTACT US: tim.richardson@northlandpower.ca Northlandpower.ca | Intelligent Energy for a Greener Planet™ together and working towards mutually beneficial outcomes.” CCAB will unveil the first companies to become Aboriginal Procurement Champions and kick off the Supply Change campaign at its Aboriginal Economic Development Conference on May 10. CCAB then hopes to piggyback on its success to develop future initiatives designed to bridge the gap between Canadian companies and Certified Aboriginal Businesses, as well as to share Aboriginal procure- ment success stories with the industry. In the meantime, the priority is to partner with companies like Suncor, RBC, Bruce Power, Aecon and Sodexo to raise awareness and get people talking. “Fortunately, we already have a number of Aboriginal businesses ready and willing to contribute significantly to Canada, so we need to embrace that,” says Gladu. “Having more Aboriginal businesses in supply chains is not only the right thing to do, it makes good business sense. A stronger Indigenous economy is a stronger Canada.” The Aboriginal BUSINESS REPORT 13