ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Business

    • How Indigenous relations specialists are bringing reconciliation to the workplace

    Annie Korver, founder of RISE Consulting, which helps corporate and non-profit organizations make progress on their Truth and Reconciliation goals, is shown in a handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO Annie Korver, founder of RISE Consulting, which helps corporate and non-profit organizations make progress on their Truth and Reconciliation goals, is shown in a handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO
    Share

    When Annie Korver sits down with a new corporate or small business client, she encourages them to focus first on the "truth" part of Truth and Reconciliation.

    Organizations often hire Korver to help them develop a reconciliation action plan — the term for a formal document laying out what a company plans to do to improve its relationship with Canada's Indigenous people.

    But the Fernie, B.C.-based founder and principal of Rise Consulting says companies first have to grapple with the reality of this country's painful past.

    "I'll ask them, 'What experiences have you had? Have you read some books? Have you been in (an Indigenous) community?' And that helps me be able to shape recommendations for how we might walk together," said Korver

    "We always start at the beginning with the history of colonial harm, because a lot of folks, they still don't know. That's the norm, actually. They will say, 'I wasn't taught this.'"

    It's been almost a decade since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released its final report summarizing the legacy of residential schools in Canada. As part of its report, the commission included a call to action for corporate Canada to make commitments to Indigenous people in a variety of areas, including consultation, relationship building, jobs and training.

    And as businesses work to address that call, it has created opportunity for Indigenous-led companies like Korver's. At Rise, Korver and her associates offer everything from advice on how to "decolonize" a company's brand to how to develop an Indigenous procurement strategy.

    Another consulting company, Eagle Spirit Business Development, counts cultural awareness training among the services it offers to its corporate clients. Founder Jeremy Thompson, whose office is located on the Tsuut'ina Nation near Calgary, said he helps clients recognize that some of the day-to-day phrases and terms they use in their business may be offensive to Indigenous Canadians.

    "One of the most common ones is 'totem pole,' as in, 'I'm the low man on the totem pole,'" Thompson said.

    "And a lot of the time, people are using 'pow-wow' to refer to a meeting of co-workers."

    Thompson also often works as a go-between for businesses and Indigenous communities, helping to make introductions when companies want to do business or build a project on First Nations land.

    This kind of role isn't new — corporations have long hired Indigenous relations advisers to help smooth their path, especially since Indigenous consent has become a must-have when it comes to getting regulatory approval for major projects such as oil pipelines or power transmission lines.

    Thompson said while some companies still see Indigenous engagement as a box they must check, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's call to action has prompted others to genuinely try to do better.

    "There are some companies that are still doing the minimum requirements because they have to for regulatory or project status," he said.

    "But there are some, and I'm working with one company like this today, that are genuinely going above and beyond ... they're doing things because they want to, not because they have to."

    Some of Canada's largest corporations have both in-house and external experts to help them with their reconciliation goals. At the Bank of Montreal, an external Indigenous advisory council provides advice, but the bank also has dedicated in-house roles.

    For example, Clio Straram — BMO's head of Indigenous banking — leads a team dedicated to offering financial services to Indigenous communities, while Amanda Ens works to improve the bank's recruitment practices as head of Indigenous talent strategy.

    "As an Indigenous woman whose family has been directly impacted by residential schools, I am very glad that my voice now contributes to decisions that support Indigenous peoples," said Ens.

    Straram said she feels her job is one of the most rewarding roles at the bank.

    "The most common thing we do, which is lending to First Nations and Indigenous governments for infrastructure building on reserve and in their communities ... just has such an impact on people's lives."

    Korver of Rise Consulting said one of the best parts of working with corporate clients on Indigenous issues is witnessing what she calls "a-ha" moments. These often come when she is leading a workplace training session for non-Indigenous employees, many of whom have never given serious thought to issues like economic reconciliation or decolonization.

    "You might see it in the form of goosebumps on their skin, or maybe their eyes get tears in them. They've made a small change, and because of that they will use their agency and influence in a bigger way to support the advancement of Truth and Reconciliation," she said.

    "I love those moments."

    This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 29, 2024. 

    CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

    A Halifax-area couple has been ordered to pay nearly $61,000 in damages and $4,000 in court costs after their dog attacked and injured a homecare nurse at their residence in 2016.

    The superintendent of the Winnipeg School Division (WSD) has apologized over a message displayed during a professional development day on Wednesday.

    Canada

    • The victim of a violent robbery in Thornhill says he had $100,000 to $110,000 stolen from him after being boxed in his car.

    • One of the B.C. Conservative candidates running in the province's second-largest city has apologized for "completely unacceptable" comments he made about Muslims and Palestinians.

    • A Halifax-area couple has been ordered to pay nearly $61,000 in damages and $4,000 in court costs after their dog attacked and injured a homecare nurse at their residence in 2016.

    • The superintendent of the Winnipeg School Division (WSD) has apologized over a message displayed during a professional development day on Wednesday.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    • A newly released trailer for a Calgary-filmed movie features plenty of shots of local landmarks.

    • Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard has abandoned his bid to appeal his 2022 sexual assault conviction before Canada's top court.

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    • video

      video

      Dozens of cars were pulled out of the Detroit River in west Windsor on Tuesday, causing many questions for Windsorites.

    • Mercedes-Benz has partnered up with the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) and the provincial government to launch a new “incubator programâ€. One of the first three locations is Windsor, with the other two going to Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo.

    Local Spotlight

    Jeff Warner from Aidie Creek Gardens in the northern Ontario community of Englehart has a passion for growing big pumpkins and his effort is paying off in more ways than one.

    Saskatchewan’s Jessica Campbell has made hockey history, becoming the first ever female assistant coach in the National Hockey League (NHL).

    Have you ever seen videos of hovercrafts online or on TV and thought, 'Wow, I wish I could ride one of those.' One Alberta man did, and then built his own.

    A B.C. couple is getting desperate – and creative – in their search for their missing dog.

    Videos of a meteor streaking across the skies of southern Ontario have surfaced and small bits of the outer space rock may have made it to land, one astronomy professor says.

    A unique form of clouds made an appearance over the skies of Ottawa on Sunday evening.

    Bernie Hicks, known as the ‘Batman of Amherst,’ always wanted to sit in a Batmobile until a kind stranger made it happen.

    Bubi’s Awesome Eats, located on University Ave West took to social media to announce the closure on Friday.

    Weeneebayko Area Health Authority and the Government of Ontario have awarded a $1.8 billion fixed-price contract to design, build and finance a new Far North hospital.

    • A B.C. man was found guilty and sentenced for murder after failing to convince a judge that the woman he killed and dismembered consented to the strangulation that caused her death.

    • There was an eye-catching mix of rainbows and lightning over Vancouver following a brief downpour this week.

    • A man has been charged with first degree murder in a shooting in Vancouver's Gastown neighbourhood six weeks ago, police announced Thursday.

    • The victim of a violent robbery in Thornhill says he had $100,000 to $110,000 stolen from him after being boxed in his car.

    • Three Toronto police officers have been injured in separate incidents involving alleged stolen vehicles in Etobicoke.

    • Mayor Olivia Chow is defending her handling of protests over the Israel-Hamas war that have rocked the city over the past year, a day after she faced criticism for missing a vigil to mark the anniversary of the Oct. 7 terrorist attack which sparked the war.

    • More than a month after the Alberta government announced it would be pulling funding for Calgary's Green Line project, Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen says progress has been made.

    • United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) delegates are meeting in Calgary this week to discuss stalled labour negotiations with the province.

    • Another significant block of Prairie grasslands in the southern-most part of Alberta is being conserved.

    • OC Transpo says moving forward, its Zero Emission Buses (ZEB) program will procure 40-foot e-buses due to limited availability from manufacturers of 60-foot articulated buses.

    • Students from Elmwood School donated turkeys and raised money for the Ottawa Mission, ahead of the Thanksgiving weekend.

    • Former Ottawa resident Angelina Armstrong-Mann says it was clear when Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm in Florida Wednesday night—she heard it.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      A man is in life-threatening condition after being shot in a Laval parking lot Thursday afternoon.

    • A 32-year-old woman from Ile-Bizard is facing jail time after she was found guilty Thursday of driving while impaired by prescription drugs.

    • Montreal police Chief Fady Dagher made a plea Thursday to parents of youth being recruited by criminal gangs: if officers knock on their door with information that their children are headed for trouble, please hear them out.

    • An Edmonton daycare has been shut down after failing to address concerns about unsupervised children, the province said Thursday.

    • The Oilers, Stanley Cup finalists in June, lost their National Hockey League season-opening game Wednesday night 6-0 to the visiting Winnipeg Jets.

    • The government of Canada will forgo up to $15.2 million in rental fees charged to the municipality of Jasper, Alta., as well as its residents and business owners over the next few years.

    • Doctor Scott Bowen at the Cumberland Regional Hospital in Amherst, N.S is said he is alarmed by the state of Nova Scotia’s emergency rooms.

    • The aurora may be visible in some parts of the Maritimes Thursday night.

    • Hurricane Milton's devastation in Florida impacts Maritimers near and far

    • A woman is speaking out after an assault on a Winnipeg Transit bus sent her and her daughter to the hospital.

    • The superintendent of the Winnipeg School Division (WSD) has apologized over a message displayed during a professional development day on Wednesday.

    • A new report taking a second look at sleep safety in infants found a fundamental shift is needed to prevent babies from unnecessarily dying in their sleep.

    • RCMP say officers have found an abandoned vehicle and seized a firearm connected to an armed robbery in the Whitewood, Sask. area Wednesday night, but are still on the hunt for two suspects.

    • Amid what could be Saskatchewan's tightest election in 17 years, the leader of the NDP is asking voters to set party politics aside and support what's the best course for the province.

    • Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe says he would get tough on those disrupting the public and will shut down nuisance properties if re-elected premier on Oct. 28.

    • Ontario Provincial Police have arrested a Waterloo man who they believe is linked to a group that has been scamming victims across Canada.

    • The City of Guelph is calling its new bylaw, banning encampments in the downtown core, a compassionate and cautious approach to the growing problem in the community.

    • The skills of international students are being put to good use in the Canadian job market, according to a new first-of-its-kind study by University of Waterloo (UW) researchers.

    • Emails obtained by CTV News show a Saskatoon private school embroiled in abuse allegations considered mayoral hopeful Gord Wyant a "friend," but he says he cut off contact when the allegations came to light.

    • Saskatoon's civic election is inching closer, as candidates are now finalized ahead of voting day on Nov. 13.

    • The Saskatchewan RCMP is responding to a report of an armed carjacking in Red Pheasant First Nation.

    • An Ontario man said he feels 'devastated' after learning his identity was stolen to take out two fraudulent loans under his name.

    • Glenn Thompson packs his E-bike to make the short trip back to the room he’s renting. Just a few short weeks ago, he was living in a tent.

    • At around 9:15 a.m. emergency services responded to reports of a possible stabbing in the area of Oxford Street West and Fiddlers Green Road.

    • Just before 5:00 p.m., police were called to the two vehicle collision on 1st Avenue North between 4th Street and 5th Street NW, in the Municipality of Arran-Elderslie.

    • A blaze which at its peak reached 20 feet in the air had St. Thomas firefighters busy on Thursday.

    • The Town of Wasaga Beach has yet another hiccup in its multi-million-dollar plan to redevelop its iconic beachfront as it announced Thursday it is parting ways with FRAM Building Group and will explore options for a new developer to take over the project.

    • Provincial police say seven people are facing charges after a massive grow operation bust outside Orillia, Ont., where over $2 million in cannabis plants were seized.

    • Police in Barrie are investigating a theft at a convenience store that they say turned violent on Wednesday afternoon.

    • Brett Iler has pleaded not guilty to six charges of careless driving under the Highway Traffic Act in a collision that killed two people and injured three others.

    • A Harrow mother is advocating for her eight-year-old daughter’s bus stop to be moved, over concerns the current location puts her in harm’s way.

    • The removal of 13 vehicles and one trailer from the Detroit River in Sandwich Town is complete.

    • Mounties on Vancouver Island say they made an unusual seizure during a recent drug trafficking investigation.

    • A B.C. man was found guilty and sentenced for murder after failing to convince a judge that the woman he killed and dismembered consented to the strangulation that caused her death.

    • The federal government is spending $4.9 million to remove a load of heavy oil from a United States military ship that sank off the coast of British Columbia nearly 80 years ago but now poses "significant risk" of a major spill due to deterioration.

    • Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.

    • A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.

    • Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.

    • The Interfaith Food Bank is busy preparing Thanksgiving bundles and has some tips for anyone hoping to cut down on their holiday dinner costs.

    • A weapons complaint that led to the temporary lockdown of two Lethbridge schools Thursday turned out to be no threat, police said in a media release.

    • Thousands more Lethbridge residents will soon be without a family doctor.

    • Sault Ste. Marie Police Service said two people were arrested following a heavy police presence on Chapple Avenue on Thursday.

    • An annual international mining conference is underway in Greater Sudbury, Ont., marking the first time the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Conference of Mining Regions and Cities has been held in North America.

    • Jeff Warner from Aidie Creek Gardens in the northern Ontario community of Englehart has a passion for growing big pumpkins and his effort is paying off in more ways than one.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow CTV News