7th Annual indigenous clean energy forum – AGENDA

June 26 & 27, 2023

TCU Place | 35 22 Street East Saskatoon, SK

7:00 AM

Sunrise Pipe Ceremony

8:30 AM

Grand Entry, Opening Prayer, and Honor Song

9:00 AM

Forum Opening Day 1 Treaty 6 Address Government of Canada Welcome

SPEAKERS

Alexandria Shrake

Alexandria Shrake

FNPA

Chief Mark Arcand

Chief Mark Arcand

Saskatoon Tribal Council

Government of Canada

Government of Canada

9:30 AM

Leadership in Reconciliation, Fireside Chat

Chief Judy Desjarlais and Crystal Fafard discuss the importance of bringing her Nation together in unity and prosperity by establishing a new era of transparency, accountability, and equal opportunity. Their dialogue will focus on enabling First Nations communities, businesses, and employees to prosper in their traditional territories in the natural resource economy, while protecting the environment and Indigenous way of life through sustainability.

Audience Insight: Explore the impact of Indigenous community involvement in cleaner energy projects. Understand Indigenous-led community ownership and decision-making processes. Learn from success stories and best practices for collaboration.

SPEAKERS

Chief Judy Desjarlais

Chief Judy Desjarlais

Blueberry River First Nation

Crystal Fafard

Crystal Fafard

Maurice Law

10:15 AM

Morning Health Break

10:30 AM

Indigenous-Led Equity Participation

Join us for a discussion highlighting the importance of Indigenous communities having a significant stake in clean energy projects, ensuring their voices are heard, and their values are respected throughout the development and operation processes. Our speakers will explore the relationship between ownership and decision-making in Indigenous-led clean energy development and will discuss the full-cycle impacts of Indigenous-led equity participation on local economies, job creation, and community well-being. In some circumstances, major capital projects enable Indigenous communities to build long-term, sustainable livelihoods.

Audience Insight: Explore the impact of Indigenous community involvement in cleaner energy projects. Understand Indigenous-led community ownership and decision-making processes. Learn from success stories and best practices for collaboration.

SPEAKERS

Cliffton Cross

Cliffton Cross

Frog Lake First Nation

Chief Billy Morin

Chief Billy Morin

Axxcelus Capital

Jesse McCormick

Jesse McCormick

First Nation Major Projects Coalition

Sandra Sutter

Sandra Sutter

National Indigenous Economic Development Board

Ahsan Upal

Ahsan Upal

Burns & McDonnell

11:30 AM

Day One Break for Lunch, Cultural Performance 

1:00 PM

Collaborative Efforts Between Canada and the United States to Expand Sustainable Economies

Governments play a crucial role in supporting Indigenous-led clean energy projects by implementing policies and providing incentives. This panel will explore Canadian-American competitiveness and the convergence of northern energy sovereignty with military aspects. The discussion will focus on the pivotal role of governments in fostering Indigenous-led clean energy initiatives through policy measures and incentives.

Audience insight: Learn about Canadian competitiveness in the clean energy economy, what funding frameworks exist, and what potential policy environment enhancements could be made. Explore cross-border collaboration strategies between Canadian and U.S. Indigenous communities.

SPEAKERS

Dr. Doyle Anderson

Dr. Doyle Anderson

FIELDS

Brett Isaac

Brett Isaac

Strongbow Strategies

Kimberly Van Vliet

Kimberly Van Vliet

WaVv/ConvergX®

Pierre Tremblay

Pierre Tremblay

AECOM

 

2:00 PM

Emerging Technologies and SMRs, from Innovation to Commercialization

Join us for a discussion on the future of Indigenous economic participation in emerging technologies. Experts will explore how building upon existing knowledge can support Indigenous economic participation in energy advancements, like small modular reactors (SMR) and others. Pathways to ensure that Indigenous economic participation in clean energy projects is facilitated will be addressed, as well as an examination of the role companies can play in enabling the capacity and financing of Indigenous participation.

Audience insight: Indigenous equity participation is emerging execution focus for corporate Canada. Build fluency in the thoughtfulness required to ensure that Indigenous equity participation in projects is present. Prior to widespread commercial adoption of technologies, like small modular reactors, utilities will play an important role in enabling the capacity and financing of Indigenous communities impacted by the energy transition.

SPEAKERS

Guy Lonechild

Guy Lonechild

First Nations Power Authority

Rupen Pandya

Rupen Pandya

SaskPower

Ken Hartwick

Ken Hartwick

Ontario Power Generation

Jim Ward

Jim Ward

North Shore Mi'kmaq District Council

John Gorman

John Gorman

Canadian Nuclear Association

 

3:00 PM

Afternoon Health Break

3:15 PM

Decarbonizing the Fossil Fuel and Mining Sectors: Power Requirements from Heavy Industry

As corporate Canada embraces the principles of Economic and Environmental Reconciliation, partnering with Indigenous communities impacted by heavy industries is an increasingly popular approach to building infrastructure. Panelists will discuss the Canadian decarbonization policy environment and the changes heavy industry is making to reduce their emissions to meet requirements in an evolving policy landscape.

Audience Insight: Explore the collaborative pathways to decarbonization in Canada, with a focus on the potential for partnerships between Indigenous communities and heavy industries.

SPEAKERS

John Desjarlais

John Desjarlais

Indigenous Resource Network

Heather Bishop

Heather Bishop

Cold Lake First Nation

Ryan Laverty

Ryan Laverty

TC Energy

Francis Bradley

Francis Bradley

Electricity Canada

 

 

4:15 PM

Closing Remarks, Day One

9:00 AM

Forum Opening, Day 2

9:15 AM

TBD

This discussion focuses on how Indigenous-led projects can offer global emissions reduction solutions, and the positive impact it can have on both the environment and Indigenous communities.

10:00 AM

Morning Health Break

10:15 AM

Reconciliation In Action

Through open dialogue and engagement, we aim to promote understanding, respect, and collaboration in the pursuit of reconciliation. Experts will discuss their respective roles and responsibilities in advancing meaningful Reconciliation in the energy sector, . The panel will examine the public commitments and tangible actions taken by Indigenous Peoples, non-Indigenous individuals, and organizations to advance reconciliation goals.

Audience Insight: Learn what meaningful Reconciliation is in the energy sector, with a focus on lasting relationships. Empower your organization or yourself to actively promote Indigenous leadership and drive positive change.

SPEAKERS

Lyle Daniels

Lyle Daniels

Building Trades of Alberta

Jennifer Tidmarsh

Jennifer Tidmarsh

Ontario Power Generation

Carol Anne Hilton

Carol Anne Hilton

Indigenomics

Corey Simard

Corey Simard

Explore

Jordan Keim

Jordan Keim

Flour Canada Ltd.

 

11:00 AM

Reconciliation, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Reconciliation through the lens of equity, diversity, and inclusion is not a symbolic gesture. This panel brings together professionals who are passionate about making meaningful change in their organizations. This panel will offer practical knowledge and perspectives on what organizational leadership can do to advance Indigenous people across many fields.

Audience Insight: Translate the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion into concrete actions organizations can take to promote a thoughtful workplace culture. Build understanding from professionals who have forged an existing pathway to greater inclusion.

SPEAKERS

Sophie Collins

Sophie Collins

Qwelminte Secwepemc

Katie Smith

Katie Smith

Women in Energy

Rebecca Acikahte

Rebecca Acikahte

First Nations Power Authority

Alexandria Shrake

Alexandria Shrake

First Nations Power Authority

 

12:00 PM

Day Two Break for Lunch, Cultural Performance

1:00 PM

Clean Energy Education Leadership

An exploration of innovative and inspiring educational initiatives that empower the next generation to become leaders in clean energy development and environmental stewardship. Indigenous youth interesting in clean energy education often face barriers; bridging the gap is critical through scholarships and mentoring opportunities, while integrating traditional knowledge to foster a deeper understanding of sustainable resource management and ecological balance.

Audience Insight: Delve into projects that the next generation of Indigenous leaders are championing. Build fluency in the opportunities cultivated and challenges faced.

SPEAKERS

Dr. Doyle Anderson

Dr. Doyle Anderson

FIELDS

Karen Chong

Karen Chong

BC Teachers Federation

Nathan Kaye

Nathan Kaye

7-Gen / Zagime

 

2:00 PM

Indigenous Clean Energy Finance: Community to Grid Scale Projects

Panelists will address the importance of communities' financial empowerment in clean energy financing. The options available for communities are limitless, ranging from microgrids and district heating systems to grid-scale projects. Experts will explore innovative financial structures, risk mitigation mechanisms, and the incorporation of cultural values in navigating the complexities of financing community energy projects and grid-scale initiatives.

Audience Insight: Become familiar with the role of financial empowerment for communities in clean energy financing. Discover options available to communities, spanning microgrids and district heating systems to gridscale projects.

SPEAKERS

Darren Huculak

Darren Huculak

First Nations Power Authority

Booker Cornea

Booker Cornea

First Nations Bank of Canada

Hillary Thatcher

Hillary Thatcher

Canada Infrastructure Bank

Ernie Daniels

Ernie Daniels

First Nation Finance Authority

 

3:00 PM

Afternoon Health Break

3:15 PM

Indigenous Leadership in Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) Throughout the Energy Transition

This dynamic panel discussion will explore the exciting opportunities for collaboration between Indigenous communities and industry leaders in advancing Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) technologies. This dialogue aims to promote knowledge sharing and facilitate the deployment of these cutting-edge solutions, integral to the energy transition.

Audience Insight: The shared experiences and knowledge from this diverse panel will provide a comprehensive understanding of the current landscape and future prospects of CCUS technologies, paving the way for informed decision-making and context specific strategic planning.

SPEAKERS

Joshua Thomas

Joshua Thomas

First Nations Power Authority

Ran Narayanasamy

Ran Narayanasamy

Petroleum Technology Research Centre

Steve Mason

Steve Mason

Project Reconciliation

Jay Harris

Jay Harris

AECOM

 

4:30 PM

FNPA Indigenous Cleaner Energy Forum Close

SPEAKERS

Alexandria Shrake

Alexandria Shrake

FNPA

 

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Discover the possibilities and connect with our Membership & Partnerships Manager, Rebecca Âcikahtê below!

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