Aboriginal Engagement

Relationships with Aboriginal communities are based on cooperation, transparency and consultation to further mutual interests.

Academic opportunities can lead to improved career choices for Aboriginal youth. Husky’s Aboriginal Education Awards Program and its Aboriginal Mentorship Program broadens the educational choices available to students.

The Company’s Aboriginal Education Awards Program awarded six bursaries last year to Aboriginal students for high school upgrading and post-secondary education related to careers in the oil and gas field. Scholarships are based on academic achievement and applicants’ career goals in the petroleum industry. Husky has contributed more than $1 million to this program since its inception in 1984.

The Aboriginal Mentorship Program provides training opportunities to Aboriginal students entering or currently enrolled in areas of high-growth job demand in the oil and gas industry. In the program’s second year, five students were placed at the Rush Lake heavy oil thermal project, the asphalt refinery in Lloydminster and the head office in Calgary to gain experience in a variety of fields.

The Company participated in community events throughout Western Canada and in the Northwest Territories, including cultural and wellness programs:

• The new Kahkiyow Keykanow Elders Care Home in Fort Chipewyan
• A hot breakfast program at Chief Albert Wright School in Tulita, NWT
•  An initiative in Norman Wells, NWT that increases youth participation in school-related activities

In the Northwest Territories, Husky provided assistance to the Tulita Moose Skin Boat Project, which brought together elders and youth from the community for a traditional lifestyle project.

A keen focus is placed on building capacity in Aboriginal businesses, establishing competitiveness and developing entrepreneurs. Opportunities are created to provide goods and services on a competitive basis.

To further support its efforts in fostering economic development with Aboriginal partners, Husky is a member of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB), the Northeastern Alberta Aboriginal Business Association (NAABA) and the Circle for Aboriginal Relations (CFAR) Society.