Renowned negotiator looking for long-term native job opportunities.One of Canada's most renowned negotiators for Aboriginal affairs is in Northern Ontario Northern Ontario is the part of the province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron (including Georgian Bay), the French River and Lake Nipissing. Northern Ontario has a land area of 802,000 km² (310,000 mi²) and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it identifying long-term Long-term Three or more years. In the context of accounting, more than 1 year. long-term 1. Of or relating to a gain or loss in the value of a security that has been held over a specific length of time. Compare short-term. job opportunities for First Nations people. After 14 years as president of the Innu Innu also called Montagnais and Naskapi North American Indian peoples living in Quebec and Labrador, Canada. The southern group has been referred to as the Montagnais and the northern group as the Naskapi. They speak almost identical Algonquian dialects. Nation representing 1,600 Inuit Inuit: see Eskimo. from Davis Inlet inlet /in·let/ (-let) a means or route of entrance. pelvic inlet the upper limit of the pelvic cavity. thoracic inlet the elliptical opening at the summit of the thorax. and Sheshatshiu, Peter Penashue is now consulting with Levert Personnel Resources to bring more long-term economic sustainability to First Nations communities experiencing economic growth. "We have a big challenge, but we are prepared to take it on," Penashue says. Penashue played a key role in establishing an impact benefit agreement for communities experiencing more than 80 per cent unemployment. Inco Ltd. president Scott Hand has hailed Penashue as a "cornerstone cornerstone Ceremonial building block, dated or otherwise inscribed, usually placed in an outer wall of a building to commemorate its dedication. Often the stone is hollowed out to contain newspapers, photographs, or other documents reflecting current customs, with a view to of the Voisey's Bay project." Now, the 41-year-old grandfather is in Northern Ontario continuing his efforts. This Top 40 Under 40 (Report on Business Magazine, 2002) pick realizes Northern Ontario First Nations share much the same challenges as his East Coast cousins when it comes to employment opportunities. For instance, well over 1,000 people were working on the Voisey's Bay construction site, but once the project was complete that number dropped to 400. Inuit people in the Labrador communities do not have the skilled trade experience necessary to be part of the operational process, Penashue says. As a result, "they are the first ones to go." His goal is to find a way to train Aboriginal workers through mega-project developments such as Voisey's Bay or the De Beers Canada Attawapiskat diamond development. Preliminary consultations with Attawapiskat communities identifying long-term skills and trade opportunities have begun, but there is no partnership commitment from any as yet. It is all in the early stages. Penashue would like to collaborate with communities in the North to identify some economic, educational and training initiatives. Once they garner community support, he would like to provide programs funded in part by the federal government. "Our job would be to get them working for the companies." Levert and Penashue can work in conjunction with corporations to develop training programs. "Someone needs to go out to help facilitate (and) bring those people into the labour market." Ontario's labour force is stretched thin, and should be looking to First Nations for help, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Penashue. "There is a huge (potential) labour workforce within the Aboriginal communities," he says. "Working with communities to get Aboriginals into the workforce will supply the need for the labour market." If the initiative proves successful, Penashue would like to provide the same services nationwide. At Memorial University last October, Hand accepted an honorary doctor of law degree for his leadership model in the contribution toward the Labrador and Newfoundland Newfoundland, breed of dog Newfoundland, breed of massive, powerful working dog developed in Newfoundland, probably in the 17th cent., and later perfected in England. It stands from 25 to 28 in. (63.5–71. communities. In his acceptance speech, Hand said at one point Inco may have "lost sight of some of the fundamental principals," upon which previous successful projects were based. Fundamentals such as respect for the values of others, trust, listening and a willingness to find common ground were lessons relearned through Peter Penashue, he said. "In our many discussions and negotiations Peter reminded Inco of the needs and aspirations aspirations npl → aspiraciones fpl (= ambition); ambición f aspirations npl (= hopes, ambition) → aspirations fpl of Aboriginal people, about our need to respect traditions, about the necessity for inclusion and participation," Hand stated. "Today, because of Peter and other Aboriginal leaders who shaped our thinking, 50 per cent of the on-site workers at Voisey's Bay are Aboriginal." Penashue hopes to bring the same level of success to the First Nations communities in Northern Ontario. By KELLY LOUISEIZE Northern Ontario Business Northern Ontario Business is a Canadian magazine, which publishes monthly in Greater Sudbury, Ontario. The magazine covers business news and issues in Northern Ontario. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion