BEC / September / 2016 - page 143

were working hard to advocate for them
and to accommodate them and help them
find resources,” Forrest said. Initiatives in-
cluded facilitating travel, such as enabling
workers to fly to and from work sites. For
those who took the bus daily to sites, on-
site housing allowed for a smoother opera-
tion. A few workers lost everything to the
fire and have taken time off. “We assured
them that they do have their jobs waiting
for them when they come back,” Forrest
said.
When it comes to employment, Align Per-
sonnel has taken care not only of its own
people, but of other locals as well.The com-
pany is presently staffing a project north of
town and although the site has a full work-
force, Forrest has reached out to evacuees
searching for work. “I decided that I would
reach out to the displaced locals of Fort
McMurray and offer them the opportunity
to go work on this project for us just so
that they could get back to work and get
back to normalcy and be employed,” For-
rest said.
Residents haven’t been the only ones to
suffer the wrath of nature; businesses have
stomached the difficulties and the inoppor-
tuneness of relocation as well. As a busi-
ness owner herself, Forrest understands
the delicate balance between commercial
weal and woe, particularly in the midst of a
calamity. Ten days after the fire broke out,
Forrest offered temporary office space
within her own Calgary-based office, free
of charge, to any interested Fort McMurray
business that had been displaced.
As of early June, there were still 13 wild-
fires in Alberta, with the one in Fort Mc-
Murray remaining uncontained. Even
though voluntary re-entry commenced in
June, there is much to be done in terms
of restoration. “I have a really strong work-
force that is ready to be deployed,” Forrest
said.
MATCHING PEOPLE TO
CAREERS
As an indigenous businesswoman, For-
rest’s mandate was to specialize in the ca-
pacity-building and training of people from
First Nations, Metis and Inuit communi-
ties. After meeting her current business
partner, Shannon Warren of Matrix Labour
Leasing, she was able to build a company
based on this vision.
When it comes to matching people to ca-
reers, all it takes is for a jobseeker interest-
“I think by taking that personal investment of time into each worker and
candidate, it really shows that we are a company that cares about our workforce.”
Patricia Forrest, CEO
SEPTEMBER 2016
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