Stakeholder Engagement and Aboriginal Peoples

Staying in touch with stakeholders and addressing their concerns is an important part of our work in the Arctic. In 2008, we made a sustainable development commitment to collaborate with and work to resolve the development-related concerns of those who may be impacted by our proposed project. We regularly seek input from stakeholders, provide detailed information on project developments and use a collaborative approach to planning.

Over the past two years, we engaged in broad community consultation through project update meetings and the work of the Parsons Lake Access Working Group. We also carried out general community engagement to complement consultation meetings including:

• Sponsoring elder lunches or teas.
• Presenting, in person, merchandise or funds to women’s shelters and local food banks.
• Attending local industry events like the Inuvik Petroleum Show and Inuvik Oilmen’s Bonspiel.
• Supporting and participating in local events like National Aboriginal Day celebrations and community jamborees

Respecting Local Culture

We believe effective planning occurs through collaboration that respects the values of local cultures. We’ve put this belief into action through the work of the Parsons Lake Access Working Group. Jointly run with local representatives, this group is providing a forum for the discussion of crucial access issues, like the location of an airstrip and ice roads, for the proposed Parsons Lake development.

The Access Working Group met four times in 2008 and 2009. The group maintains its collaborative and respectful approach through:

• A meeting protocol that supports shared responsibility. Community members chair all meetings, observers from the community are invited and all members are free to arrange meetings and suggest agenda topics.
• Actively listening and responding to member perspectives and suggestions. During meetings, members are asked specifically for both their concerns and suggested solutions on a given topic. This information is noted and actions are assigned and shared with all members through summary notes.
• Gaining broader community support for its actions. The group’s elected community representatives asked us to ensure the actions and decisions of the group were brought back to the community. We support this by updating community members, through public meetings and newsletters, about the group’s discussions and recommendations and asking for the larger community’s perspective on points brought forward.

Learn more on Stakeholder Engagement and Aboriginal Peoples

• Canada-wide
• Western Canada Gas
• Oil Sands

While this approach doesn’t eliminate disagreement on all issues, it has led to a more focused discussion and increased community participation in consultation. Community members on the Parsons Lake Access Working Group agreed to continue their involvement following the completion of the regulatory process.