A proud First Nation, home to more than 800 Band Members, Fort McMurray 468 First Nation (FMFN468) is a Cree band located approximately 40 kilometres southeast of Fort McMurray, Alberta. A Treaty 8 Nation and member of the Athabasca Tribal Council, which represents five First Nation bands in northeast Alberta, the Nation is governed by Chief Neil Cheecham and two Councillors; Samantha Whalen and Angela Ross. The Nation is guided by its eight community pillars, created with community input, to deliver long-term economic and social benefits to its Members. With an emphasis on economic development, capacity building, nurturing the welfare of its Members through focused programs and services, and revitalizing cultural and traditional practices, FMFN468 and its businesses are supporting the growth and sustainability of the community. This mission is at the heart of the Fort McMurray First Nation Group of Companies and Fort McMurray 468 First Nation Economic Development. 2
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FMFN GROUP A wholly-owned business entity of FMFN468, the Fort McMurray First Nation Group of Companies (FMFN Group) was originally incorporated as Christina River Enterprises in 1987, before rebranding in 2021. One hundred per cent Nation-owned and operated, FMFN Group started with a pallet shop and janitorial services, expanding over the years to include four successful businesses: Construction, Custodial, Transportation, and a Petro-Canada Fuel and Convenience Store operating on the Nation. “We are focused on providing high quality, reliable and safe services that create economic benefit for the Nation and opportunities for Nation Members,” says FMFN Group CEO Steve Jani. “With our Group of Companies as an important revenue generator, we are supporting the sustainable growth of our Nation, meeting infrastructure needs, and delivering a full range of programs and services to promote the personal growth, healing, and well-being of our Members,” Chief Neil Cheecham says. Indeed, in 2021, FMFN Group generated more than $5 million in net profits to support infrastructure projects and Member healthcare, education, and other community programs and services. Fort McMurray 468 First Nation 4
THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION Fort McMurray 468 First Nation Economic Development (FMFN468 Economic Development) is an evolution of FMFN Group’s success in establishing strong business partnerships, supporting revenue growth, and creating meaningful employment opportunities for Nation Members and additional service lines to the Group of Companies. Launched in April 2022, FMFN468 Economic Development is a stand-alone entity focused on contributing to the sustainable growth of the Nation and well-being of its Members. “FMFN468 Economic Development was established to lead joint business ventures and equity opportunities and develop and manage business partnerships and industry relationships for both the Nation and FMFN Group,” says Ryan Coish, Vice President of Business Development. “All revenue generated supports Member programs and services, housing initiatives, and infrastructure projects on the Nation.” Business partners value the Nation’s economic stability, good governance and leadership’s commitment to transparency and accountability, commitment to meaningful business relationships, and the strong involvement of Elders in helping to chart the Nation’s path forward, ensuring community sustainability for generations to come. The oil and gas sector in Alberta plays a significant role in the Canadian economy. However, it is also a significant contributor to tailings, waste, greenhouse gas emissions, and other environmental impacts. To address these challenges and improve sustainability, companies in the sector are increasingly turning to consulting firms and new technologies. Breakwater Vantage is helping oil and gas companies in Alberta to identify and implement best practices for sustainability. This includes strategies for reducing emissions, improving energy efficiency, and reducing waste; by adopting renewable energy sources, implementing water treatment systems, and reducing their carbon footprint. Water treatment is an important aspect of sustainability in the oil and gas sector. Companies must manage and treat the large volumes of water used in the extraction process to minimize environmental impacts. This includes removing impurities, controlling discharge, and managing the water used in hydraulic fracturing. Breakwater Vantage supports companies in managing their resources in an environmentally responsible manner by offering expertise in areas such as carbon footprint analysis, waste treatment, chemical optimization, GHG emission analysis, asset assessments, and oil and gas mining/exploration. The goal is to promote sustainability and minimize environmental impact through the implementation of strategies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance water management, optimize asset use, and advance the adoption of clean energy technologies. To achieve this, Breakwater Vantage leverages technological innovations, facilitates policy changes, and drives cultural shifts to support the transition to a more sustainable energy system and solution. Breakwater Vantage continuously strives towards advancing sustainability by providing eco-friendly solutions, executing conscientious methods, and utilizing state-of-the-art technologies. Our objective is to optimize the utilization of Alberta's natural resources in a manner that is both environmentally responsible and sustainable, reducing any harmful effects on the environment. Gain knowledge, understand new technologies, address blind spots, and eliminate/reduce emissions; to further drive industry as a whole to address gaps in a timely and effective manner. Asset intelligence is important in data aggregation to identify risk currently flying under the radar by bringing additional visibility to the entire operations. www.breakwatervantage.com 5
2021 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY This inaugural report showcases how the Nation’s leadership and FMFN Group, its employees, and industry partners are working together to build a vibrant, resilient, and self-sufficient community. “More than $5 million in net profits generated by FMFN Group was reinvested in essential community services—including $330,000 in Partnership Educational funding to support 20 post-secondary students from the Nation,” says Jani. A new water treatment facility to connect on-reserve homes and buildings to the regional water supply and sewage system is being built,” says Coish, “and with that comes the added benefit of creating job opportunities and income by using Nation-owned businesses for some of the work.” “Along with a wide range of programs and services to support the well-being of our Members, we host several cultural events throughout the year to educate and connect Members to their language and traditions,” says FMFN468 Councillor Samantha Whalen. For example, in 2021, the Nation held a Residential School Awareness Walk to allow community Members an opportunity to mourn and honour Survivors, while raising public awareness. Ten tons of waste was removed and disposed of sustainably during the annual Community Clean-Up, engaging and employing youth as part of the initiative. Steve Jani, CEO, FMFN Group Jonathan Ross, Busi Manager, FMFN468 Ec Ryan Coish, VP of Business Development, FMFN468 Economic Development 6
In the fall of 2023, the Nation will release its groundbreaking 2022 Indigenous ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) report (IESG). “Building on the 2021 Sustainability Report to Community, the report will demonstrate our ongoing commitment to sustainability for the Nation and iness Development conomic Development Fred Cree, Business Development Manager, FMFN468 Economic Development Chad Shkopich, Business Development Manager, FMFN468 Economic Development YOUR WELDING EXPERTS. We weld better together. Welding services including: • Structural welding for shovel shutdowns • Shovel Bucket rebuilds. • Dump body rebuilds. 7
Members, founded in traditional Indigenous values, culture, and practices,” says Chief Cheecham. The Nation looks forward to sharing this innovative report that identifies new metrics inclusive of Indigenous values and priorities, as well as reporting on select global reporting metrics to align with their industry partners. LOOKING FORWARD “The Economic Development team is focused on delivering long-term benefits to the Nation through the development of business and equity opportunities founded on strong, strategic partnerships,” says Coish. For example, Enbridge and 23 First Nation and Métis communities – including FMFN468 – announced an agreement in September 2022 for the communities acquire a non-operating interest in seven Enbridge pipelines in the Athabasca region of northern Alberta. A newly created entity, Athabasca Indigenous Investments, will steward this investment—representing the largest energy-related Indigenous economic partnership transaction in North America to date. Through the Astisiy partnership, Suncor Energy has joined with eight Indigenous communities in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, including FMFN468, to acquire all of TC Energy’s 15 per cent equity interest in the Northern Courier Pipeline FMFN Group CEO w 8
Limited Partnership—providing long-term, stable revenues that will benefit the communities for decades to come. Working together with the Economic Development team, FMFN Group is focusing on the continued growth of its four divisions in alignment with its organizational core values: Community, Continuous Improvement, Collaboration, and Care. FMFN468 Economic Development and FMFN Group are also looking forward to welcoming representatives of companies from across the energy services sector and other industries to their annual trade show, scheduled for May 25, 2023, in Calgary. with Business Partners Arkon Solutions FMFN468 Councillor Angela Ross with Business Partners Civeo Economic Development Team at Trade Show 2022 9
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“It’s a free event and a great day of networking and relationship-building. Our theme for this year is ‘Sustaining Future Generations.’ Attendees will have the opportunity to meet our business partners and learn more about how we are working together to support economic and social equity for the Nation while driving mutually beneficial business opportunities and growth,” says Coish. Together, FMFN468 Economic Development and FMFN Group are supporting the Nation’s commitment to care for its people, culture, and land, “thriving in economic sustainable opportunities that create self sufficiency and a vibrant healthy community.” For more information, please visit fmfn468.com, fmfngroup.com, and fmfneconomicdevelopment.com FMFN468’S BUSINESS CORE VALUES 11
“We focus on projects that are environmentally responsible and we strive for economic and social equity.” - Steve Jani In his own words As seen in BusinessEliteCanada.com www.fmfn468.com
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