Economic Reconciliation

11/24/23 • 107 min

More than 150 court victories have confirmed that the resources of Canada can only be developed when working with and obtaining First Nations approval.

Many First Nations are on a road to reclaiming prosperity and revitalizing cultures.

Some urban First Nations have become significant land-owners actively pursuing development with the potential to help address our housing crisis. In rural areas some First Nations have taken ownership stakes in resource projects. Numerous companies are playing an active and positive role in reconciliation.

These early days – far from smooth and uncontroversial. It is likely impossible to envision where we will be in the decades to come. The interests of First Nations are enormously diverse, and often at odds – witness examples in salmon farming and forestry.

BC conducted a homeless count in October – indigenous people made up a third of those counted. Incarceration rates of indigenous people are more than 10 times those of the total population. Poverty and unemployment rates remain astronomically high. First Nations communities too often remain without the services that others take for granted.

The issues are not unique to BC, or even Canada – in an October referendum Australians voted against creating an advocacy committee to advise parliament on policies affecting Indigenous people.

Join us by webcast 7 p.m. November 21 as we bring together a panel of leaders in First Nations, business, and law to discuss economic reconciliation today, and into the future.

The panel:

Ellis Ross – MLA (Skeena), Shadow Minister for Energy and LNG
Crystal Smith – Elected Chief Councillor of Haisla Nation; Chairwoman of the First Nations LNG Alliance
Conrad Browne – President & CEO, Dakwakada Capital Investments
Greg D’Avignon – Former President & CEO of the BC Business Council of BC; Partner, Canadian Strategy Group
Roger Dall'Antonia – President and CEO of Fortis BC
Thomas Isaac – Aboriginal Law Lawyer, Partner at Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP
Leon Gaber – Executive Director & National Lead (Critical Infrastructure Resilience & Emergency Management Practice), KPMG

We hope you can join us!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More than 150 court victories have confirmed that the resources of Canada can only be developed when working with and obtaining First Nations approval.

Many First Nations are on a road to reclaiming prosperity and revitalizing cultures.

The issues are not unique to BC, or even Canada – in an October referendum Australians voted against creating an advocacy committee to advise parliament on policies affecting Indigenous people.

Join us by webcast 7 p.m. November 21 as we bring together a panel of leaders in First Nations, business, and law to discuss economic reconciliation today, and into the future.

The panel:

Ellis Ross – MLA (Skeena), Shadow Minister for Energy and LNG
Crystal Smith – Elected Chief Councillor of Haisla Nation; Chairwoman of the First Nations LNG Alliance
Conrad Browne – President & CEO, Dakwakada Capital Investments
Greg D’Avignon – Former President & CEO of the BC Business Council of BC; Partner, Canadian Strategy Group
Roger Dall'Antonia – President and CEO of Fortis BC
Thomas Isaac – Aboriginal Law Lawyer, Partner at Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP
Leon Gaber – Executive Director & National Lead (Critical Infrastructure Resilience & Emergency Management Practice), KPMG

We hope you can join us!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

A conversation with Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim

A Conversations Live special edition – A dialogue with Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim

Join us November 9 when we sit down with Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim for a wide-ranging dialogue about his first year as Vancouver’s mayor. This special edition of Conversations Live will run 3:30 – 4:30 p.m., webcast on the Vancouver Sun and right here on our own website.

Viewers will have a chance to ask the mayor your own questions via Slido.

We hope you can join us for the Conversation!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

Asia Pacific - Canada’s opportunities and challenges in the region

44 per cent of BC exports go to markets in the Asia Pacific. 20 per cent of Canadians have family ties to the region. According to Global Affairs Canada the “Indo-Pacific region will play a critical role in shaping Canada’s future over the next half-century.”

The region has 40 economies including China and India, almost two-thirds of the world’s population, and $47.19-trillion in economic activity. It is home to half of Canada’s top trading partners.

The opportunities are tremendous. So are the challenges.

Canada’s relationship with India hit a new low this year when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested the country may have been involved in the murder of a Sikh separatist leader in BC. India retaliated by halting the issuance of travel visas to Canadians and threatening to revoke the protections accorded to Canadian diplomats in that country, prompting Canada to withdraw 41 staff.

China is BC’s second largest trading partner after the USA. It’s not a comfortable relationship – Canada has recently criticized the Chinese government for unfair trade practices and human rights abuses. China has been accused of espionage and operating a shadowy network of unofficial police stations in Canada engaged in intimidation of Canadians with Chinese heritage and their families – including Canadian MP Michael Chong. Military tensions are rising in the region.

The panel:

Sukesh Kumar, Audit Partner and National Leader of KPMG’s India Practice in Canada
Duncan Wilson, Port of Vancouver Vice President, Environment and External Affairs
Jeff Nankivell, President & CEO, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada
Brenda Bailey, BC Minister of Jobs, Economic Development & Investment

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.