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Explore the Edmonton Region's role in solving the global climate crisis.
Welcome, too, to carbonizing today, a deep dive into
the Edmonton metro region's role in addressing the global climate crisis.
In this episode, we have your Edmonton global host, Michelle
Perfect.
Well, first of all, thanks for having me.
Yeah.
Right now at Alexander Business Center, we are we are growing.
It is it is busy. time.
There's a lot of development in the Emonton region.
Um Alexander First Nation is located about
45 minutes from the heartland through one of the two closest nations.
um Alander first nation also has lands by Florida C Siniboine, as well as Fox Creek.
So it's a very busy region.
So we are on the economic side, which
I represent, we are busy growing that capacacity as quickly as possible
so that we we can participate.
So everything we do, we're looking for training.
We're looking for employment.
We're looking for revenue, and we're looking for community investments.
So we're building that portfolio as quick as possible right now..
So, um Alexander Business Centers started in 2018.
And how many divisions do you have now?
Yeah, so in 2018, um, the previous council
decided it was time to start to participate in the region. and and get into business.
So um at that point, we started with a
series of small partnerships. and uh we've
progressed now into having ownership in 14 different businesses.
um so service-based businesses and both supply-based businesses.
And the goal is not just to stay within the region for Alexander.
It's to to continue to grow outside of those traditional land boundaries.
um especially on the supply side.
The goal is to participate um with great
partners who operate within the heartland region, um but but enterprise wide.
So we want to be selling our our valves um in
Australia, in Puerto Rico, in Mexico to some of those suppliers
that are also in proponents that are operating here.
Not only regional, but international.
That's the goal.
That is the goal, and and we're successful already.
We are doing that.
Um We just need to continue
to be at the table with with these organizations early um,
so that we can we can showcase those goals.
Um.
I think a lot of times industry doesn't necessarily
understand that nations can have that capacity
and have those lofty goals. um, I think,
uh industry currently still puts the nations in
a in a little bit of a box. um, you know,
we see the term designated services a lot for indigenous
businesses, um, supplying gravel or civil or portaotties
or labor, maybe some brushing work.
And I think that's great.
You know
we can do more. and, you know, the goals of again,
of Alexander's to maximize training, employment, revenue, community investment, we need to do more.
And we need to do it outside of that region.
So again, that early engagement is is critical there.
Yeah.
not only in terms of looking
at the services and products that can be supplied
by those organizations, but also looking at
additional equity ownership opportitiesities, right?
That's right.
So, you know, there's two ways that Alexander
nation, which I represent the business side again on, we look
at we look at opportunities, twofold.
One, the traditional consultation, the the treaty side of things.
So we have a group within the within the the nation
that make sure that these projects do not impact treaty rights.
So and and the nation has done a great job
in building those resources, building that capacity so that
they can assess each and every opportunity to make sure it's not impacting
hunting, fishing, gathering trapping, right?
But at the same time, we have a separate group that if
all of those gates are passed, we're ready to do business.
So we have a group that, again, that Alexander
Business Center LP that represents all of our our four businesses and partnerships.
We're here to try to maximize work with
the proponents, um to maximize training, employment revenue, and community investments.
So, uh and again, uh we need to be at the table to do that.
We need to have those early engagements, early discussions.
But Alexander will not enter into business if it doesn't pass gate one.
If it doesn't pass the the consultation
part, the traditional consultation part.
And uh and and you're right, it's
not just about participation.
It is about equity as well.
That's that next phase that that Alexander needs
to be at the table, but I think other other nations as
well, other approximate nations need to be at least have the opportunity
to understand what what a project
looks like, what the risk profile is, what the returns could be, and
and be given a fair amount of time to participate.
You know, to to go raise some funds because there
are a lot of good programs for communities to raise capital.
And and actually we can derisk some of these projects or
some of the some of the proponents. with some of the uh
um the rates of uh of of dollars cheaper.
Yeah, no, that's good.
Yeah.
So, I mean, obviously you are strategically located
close to the industrial heartlands.
So, you know, some of the sectors, of course, that you focus some
of your efforts on make sense locally, um,
in terms of like oil and gas activity and, you know, that kind of thing.
But like, what are kind of your sector focuses?
Or do you have a sector?
Yes, hundred percent.
So we have a strategy
um again, if you look at what the goals of the nation
are, and the ultimate goal of the nation is to increase the quality of life for its numbers, right?
And to do that, again, they need to be participating in these projects.
And and you're right.
There's projects, there's utility projects within Alexander's
corridor, There's oil and gas, there's upstream, there's midstream, there's downstream.
There's fourthstry.
There's municipal, there's provincial, you know, um.
and and we have to have a strategy and we do have a strategy for all of those.
So when you look at our portfolio of businesses, very
quickly you will see and be able to pick out which businesses
are focused on which um, you know, our chemical business.
So which is a fairly new one.
So we're manufacturing certain chemical products and then we're distributing.
And
um you will see a heavy focus
on theartland region with a lot of the products that we're manufacturing distributing.
We own a valve company.
We're manufacturing valves and we're distributing valves.
A lot of those valve products are heavily focused on the Edmonton region.
So, you know, we're sitting here today talking about clean
energy and we're talking about the next wave of investment to come in the region.
our supply divisions and some of our service divisions are
quickly ramping up so that we can maximize participation.
Other groups. um you know, the Fox Creek Reserve that Alexander has.
We have civil groups that are working out there.
We have a safety
group that's that's headquartered in Whitord with over 100 staff.
You know, we have nurses, we have doctors, we have medical units,
we have hydrovAC units, really focused on that oil and gas.
Right?
So we have a diverse offering and we're continuing to
build those so that we can try to have touchpoints in all
of the sectors that are coming across Alexander's plans..
That's great.
Yeah, it's nice to have that diversity in economic activity, right?
And also it probably aligns really well to some
of the priorities in the nation, too, when it comes to, you
know, health care, possibly, or environmental
concerns and that kind of thing.
And it does.
Again, when you look at the focus of the nation,
Alexander nation has approximately 2400 band members,
uh roughly half live on the main reserve, half
an hour from where we're sitting today, and the other half are primarily in the Emmerton region.
And when you look at the development in this region, um,
you know, folks want to live at home.
They want to work where they live. um Most of the opportunities
in the past for Alexander and other nations have been out in the oil patch.
So you're living in camps.
You know, you're living in hotels, you're you're living four
or five hours from home and, you know, some of the
elders at the community say, you know, we need our members home to keep the home fire strong.
Right?
And and it's that's a term that resonates with me.
And so we build a strategy and we focus on
local jobs, local employment and really targeting training programs,
getting local folks trained in the right the right things.
The things that these new carbon
capture projects are going to need, or could be a new hydrogen project
needs, or some other clean energy initiative that's coming to the regionion.
We have to train the folks to the right opportunities.
But again, full circle, we need to be at the table
early to identify what those opportunities are. so we
get the right folks trained in the right areas and they're ready when these projects are gonna go.
So if we wanted to communicate to sort
of say some industry players about how is
the right way to engage with Alexander First Nation, Alexander
Business Center, what what kind of things would you recommend?
I think that and that's a great question and that's that's
a great opportunityunity for industry, I think.
And I I think industry seems
to be at different stages in this journey.
They're all at a little bit different stages.
What I could say is the earlier the better.
You know, we we hear the term ESG being thrown around a lot, right?
The S, the social part.
I mean, that's working with the nation, not just Alexander, the other nations in the region, right?
And to get in, get early at
that dialogue, figure out what it's important. to the nation and
start to work and maybe have to change some of their plans,
industry's plans or, you know, shift some things around a little bit based on some of the feedback.
So
you know, to your question, um, just get in.
We have a groups.
We have a group that's specifically there to engage with
industry on the consultation side.
We have a group specifically there to engage in industry on the business side.
and, um, you know, all I can recommend is as early
as possible and build those relationships, you know, participate, come to the communities, and and you know what?
We've seen since 2018, we've seen a
big upic in in that aspect.
We have large groups that
have been operating for 25 years within
a half an hour of the room reserve that didn't even know it was there.
Those same groups now are entering into long-term
relationship agreements with the nation and we're outlining how
we work together and they're starting to be there. and that's a big step.
Yeah, it's great to hear that, uh, you know, I feel like we've
just hit a different level of the way this engagement works and
and the way these partnerships can work, right?
So it's been good.
But there's a long way to go..
There's a long way to go.
And, you know, we want to be helping
to guide and shape that with industry in the region. want to be there to help.
And again, like I said, everyone's at a different stage in their journey.
Some groups are still figuring out what this even means, you know, how do we engage?
Do we even need to engage?
And then we have other groups that have been doing this a long time and they're getting pretty good at it.
So we want to share some of those experience with maybe
some of the groups that are doing really well with maybe some of those groups that are just starting the journey.
you know, it's it is exciting and there's a long way to go though still.
Yeah. that's awesome.
Maybe just to talk a little bit more about the whole on reserve versus off reserve.
So you do have some business activity that's actually happening on reserve.
We do, yeah.
And again, this is a this is a calm and misconception.
still that First Nations only
really want to participate on the reserve.
And
that couldn't be further from the truth, right?
The reserve boundary for nations, there's there's not a lot of opportunity on the reserve.
I mean, you look at Alexander First Nation, you know, it's where folks live.
It's where the programs and services are.
You know, that's where the the school is and the health center and,
you know, public works buildings, but it's, you know, it's there's not a lot of opportunity there.
So the offreserve
opportunities are where nations need to be.
So again, when you look at Alexander, the goal is to increase the quality of life for its members.
That's why we're engaging in business.
Um, you know, you look at the the heartland region with
billions of dollars of of planned projects.
You know, when you look at the on
reserve capital spend, you know, you might be looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars.
So from an economy's a scale perspective,
the nations need to be looking off reserve.
But but you're right.
There is there's still a common misconception that nations just want to stay home and work on the reserve.
That's that's not true.
That's not true.
I don't know if you can elaborate a little bit more on kind of the relationship between
the First Nation and the business center, just that people get
a better understanding of what that relationship looks at.
Yeah, so this is this is a unique. um model.
and it's it's a model that um I I
I believe in and I think other nations,
you know, should look at as well.
So actually Alexander Business Center is
owned by all 2400 band members.
So that's a unique that's it that's unique, right?
So everybody's got skin in the game.
Everybody wants to see this grow.
up to 50% of the revenue
derived within the Alexander Business center can go back to help
find underfunded programs within the community.
Again, communist conception is that the
federal government, you know, provides nations all
the money that they will ever need to run the programs and services.
The fact is that's that's not true.
There is underfunded social programs, there's underfunded
education programs, you know, and on and on and on.
Every every department within the nation is underfunded.
So the only way to combat
that is to go find your own revenue, right?
And that's what we've done.
And so all 2400 band members have a
share in this business, all twenty four00 band members want to see this succeed.
And we get pushed to grow this.
Again, in 2018, we started with a piece of paper Fast forward now to 2024.
And we have four businesses and we have pro
approximately 15 partnerships.
Yeah.
That's very exciting.
And like you said, I mean, there's more work to do, but it's
great to see the progress that you guys have made in this.
So that's good.
So any last minute messages you want to communicate?
about what's happening at ABC?
Well,
at ABC, we're growing.
We're growing and we're going to continuing pushing the mandate
from those 2400 band members. um the last minute
message isn't necessarily about ABC.
I think it's too when I look around the room today.
I see industry.
I see a lot of optimism.
I see a lot of
capital budgets.
And my message would be to those folks,
the proponents in the region, you know, we see ESG.
We see that splashed around right now, which is great.
But now we need to see those
same folks that are are using that language to
actually sit down with the communities and say, okay, what does S mean to you?
Alexander First Nation, or other nations in the region?
What does that mean?
And how do we work together?
How do we protect treaty right?
And then, at the same time, how how do we support accommodation?
How do we support business?
What does that mean to you?
What does success look like?
And to have that open early dialogue?
So, again, my message would be to industry to,
you know, really take a focus and pick up the phone, come
see the communities and learn, understand early, not
after the business plans are done and after they're already groundbreaking, right?
Yeah.
So,
the key takeway, engage and
engage early and uh yeah.
That's it.
That honestly, that is it.
By doing that, nations will
have the time to properly put resources and these resources are scarce.
So training dollars, instead of training 20 carpenters
next year, maybe a nation needs to be trained 20 electricians.
But without understanding and have that relationship with industry,
those scarce resources are probably going be allocated wrong, right?
So, again, early engagement, you got it, yeah.
Thanks for listening.
Stay tuned for our next episode of decarbonizing today to
continue exploring how to carbonizing tomorrow starts today in the Ebmonton metro region.