Natural Resources Canada's Geological Survey Canada Central and Northern Branch's Geo-mapping for Energy and Minerals Program (GEM) Community Engagement, Summer Field Season of 2009

Version 1

October 15, 2009

Report Summary
Introduction
Community Visits
Summary of Community Requests
Summary of Concerns
Summary of Actions from Engagement
Best Practices
Number of People Hired 2009
Projected number of hires for 2010
Obstacles to Community Engagement
Recommendations to Community Engagement
Obstacles to Hiring Process
Recommendations to Hiring Process
Suggested Community Training
Conclusion

Report Summary

The engagement process created opportunities for developing links with communities. Early engagement of communities is recommended and partnering with a PT representative for the engagement process is beneficial for guidance of process and to draw on their local socio-political awareness. It is clear that the majority of communities would like to see long term benefits derive from GEM activities and it is equally evident that communities require that their traditions be taken into account and the sacred and important heritage sites be respected. The hiring process, although not uniform, can be improved by either establishing a more efficient LOA process or by using Hamlet or Hunters and Trappers offices or perhaps, both to ensure hiring process flexibility. Community members need to have prior access to Health and Safety training and the furnishing of appropriate foot wear is sometimes necessary. Finally, more awareness of GEM activities and the potential for long term benefits for Northerners is created by school and community presentations, community members' visits to field camps and by procuring and hiring locally. Finally, follow-up engagement to share GEM results would close the circle and strengthen the established links.

Introduction

The GEM Community Engagement of the summer 2009, undertaken by GEM Project Leaders, resulted in the development of best practices and future engagement and hiring practice recommendations.

GEM surveying activities are predominately located North of 60, in the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. The intent of engagement was to meet, inform and educate community members about GEM and GEM activities. It also opened up dialogue concerning the communities concerns and requests in relation to the work being undertaken. Finally, it was to ascertain local resident interest in the possible training and employment opportunities in GEM field camps.

Community Visits

GEM community engagement focussed on those communities where the surveying activities were closest. There are twenty-two (22) identified GEM project locations and of these, four (4) projects are slated to start only in 2010. Although the Project Leaders of each of the twenty-two projects made contact with communities, aeromagnetic surveying projects (of which there are two) did not meet with community members as the surveying activities would not be done on the ground nor were there training and employment opportunities.

Within these twenty-two project locations, GEM Project Leaders contacted thirty-five (35) communities. Community contact consisted of various formats. Initial contact was done through telephone calls, or letters / emails of introduction. Out of the thirty-five contacted, twenty-six (26) visits to communities took place in the Summer 2009. Two (2) project locations (Yukon Sedimentary Basins & PGE/Base Metals - Victoria Island (NWT, NU) ) envision no activities in the location of Tetlit Gwich'in, Fort McPherson, and Tsiigehtchic, of the NWT so no community visit was arranged. There was no response to the initial contact from one (1) community (K'ahsho Got'ine District Land Corporation). Both (2) Norman Wells Land Corporation & the Tulita District Land Corporation were unable to meet with GEM Project Leaders of the Mackenzie Delta Corridor project and the "Baffin Bay" Sedimentary Basin project respectively, due to time constraints. Further to which the Tulita District Land Corporation cancelled a meeting scheduled to take place with the GEM Project Leader of Multiple Metals - Northwest Canadian Cordillera (Yukon & BC). Presently, there are seven (7) further planned community visits for the autumn 2009, five (5) are as follow up meetings.

Summary of Community Requests

The requests of the various communities were very similar. Putting money into the community through hiring of local community members, using the Hamlet office for the hiring process, using local businesses to buy supplies or for accommodation was often requested. Many communities requested that local people be hired to accompany the field team when in sensitive areas or for wildlife observation. Naskapi First Nation inquired about the possibility of a detailed, high resolution aeromagnetic survey to be flown over their territory.

Some communities stressed the need for creating awareness of geo-science and the GEM project amongst youth and through school visits. One of the prevailing requests was the sharing of information, ie. caribou sightings, ochre, gravel and carving stone locations. They were interested in receiving further information on permafrost degradation, the smoking coal seam exposed just upriver from Norman Wells and that expert assistance is given to local prospectors who are writing assessment reports or applications for the Yukon Mining Incentives Program. Within Rankin Inlet, a conversation was initiated on a possible joint venture in data acquisition.

Members of the Baker Lake community asked that old exploration sites be cleaned of the unsightly and dangerous metal found sticking out of the tundra. This particular request was not addressed through GEM as it was not assessed as a GEM activity; however CNGO and DIAND were informed of the request.

Summary of Concerns

The concerns voiced during the community visits were fairly uniform, with some exceptions. Communities stressed the concern that low flying helicopters scare people and animals. The concern was that caribou calving and sheep hunting would be disturbed by helicopter flights or GEM activities in general. Respect for sacred sites and Aboriginal traditions, including not removing ochre and requesting permission to be on land, were priorities for some communities. Fuel berms were a concern, in regards to their having enough capacity and old berms being capped. Fishing for pleasure or shooting of bears as a safety precaution was a concern. One community asked that if a bear was shot, would they eceive compensation?

A large over arching concern was that GEM activities create long term benefits for Northerners. Finally, Pelly Crossing, YK, Beaver Creek, White River First Nation, NWT, Holman (Ulukhaktok), NWT, Watson Lake, YK (Liard First Nation), feel they are unprepared for a staking rush, mineral exploration and/or mine on Claimant or Traditional Lands.

Summary of Actions from Engagement

Before or during the GEM activities Project leaders addressed community concerns in various ways. To initiate economic benefits from GEM activities to communities, various GEM projects hired local community members as wildlife monitors and observers, camp cooks and field assistants, as well as bought supplies such as food for the field camps. Mulitple Metals - Northwest Canadian Cordillera (Yukon. B.C.) Project and the Gold - Baker Lake/ Chesterfield Inlet/Wager Bay (NU) project contracted locally for accommodation and board in Norman Wells, Ulukhaktok, NWT and Pond Inlet, NU.

In response to the concern of local customs and traditions, local Hunters and Trappers Committees (HTC) were consulted about caribou calving grounds. Many wildlife observers were also hired to document sightings and the flight altitude of helicopters was heightened to ensure calving and herds were not disturbed, although the needed elevation was not uniformly established.

Consultation with elders prior to visiting sacred or culturally significant sites was sought. Added to which, often local persons were on-site when projects might have encountered sacred or important sites. If timely consultation with Elders was not possible, as in the case of the smoking coal seam near Tulita, the team was careful not to visit the culturally significant sites identified in the document Rakekée Gok'é Godi: Places We Take Care Of (2000, 2nd ed.), prepared by the Sahtu Heritage Places and Sites Joint Working Group. In Burwash Landing the helicopter was used for a half-day to complete the community heritage survey.

To create greater awareness of GEM activities elders were invited to visit field camps. The Cumberland Project had many community visitors. Elder Sam Johnson visited Tin Cup Lake Lodge field camp. Many school presentations were given in both local elementary and high schools. The Multiple Metals - Northwest Canadian Cordillera (Yukon, B.C.) project post-poned surveying until the Fall, so as to not disturb caribou calving and migration. Uranium - [Northern Uranium for Canada (NUC)] field team asked for the community to select a group of elders to come visit the project for a barbeque and social, to see first hand what a GEM field camp does. Unfortunately, in the end the community could not find a convenient time for the all the chosen Elders to attend.

Finally, various other diverse concerns were addressed when possible. In Grise Fiord a new fuel berm was installed to ensure fuel storage capacity was met. The Northern Stevenson Ridge footprint was altered to include category "A" lands in time to accommodate the community's geophysical contractor. The sharing of timely information is intended once information is available and further presentations to Councils and schools are already projected. There is interest in GEM partnering with NTGO on their "Community Mapping" Project for schools in the Sahtu Region. As a result of the Mackenzie Delta Corridor project community engagement at Watson Lake, YK - Liard First Nation, a visit by Alex McMillan, a local prospector and father to Chief Liard McMillan, was made whereupon he was taken by helicopter with YGS geologists to Coal River Springs (Territorial Park and Ecological Reserve) and the Mel zinc-lead-barite property.

Best Practices

Various best practices have been identified from the GEM community engagements.

Inviting and receiving elders and other community members at the field camps promotes understanding and creates knowledge of GEM activities.
Engaging communities with a PT representative is very helpful and some thought essential, which is in keeping with the Guide to Best Practices for Community Engagement "Always ensure community visits involve both a PT and a GSC representative" available on the GEM SharePoint site.
Early engagement of the community provides early community awareness of the scope of GEM activities and allows for the hiring process to be formulated with the hamlet office or, if done directly, to not be rushed. It also, allows for the organization of training needs to potential and actual hires. It ensures enough time to organize the community meetings subsequent field camp visits by community members and efficiently address community concerns, in a timely fashion.
Using a community organization, such as the Hamlet office or Hunters and Trappers Associations, to do the hiring for field camps helps negotiate intra-community rivalries and appropriate pay structures. The local hires are employees of the community group and therefore NRCan HR protocols and barriers are not an issue. Finally, those who have been hired get paid immediately upon returning to the community. However, it should be noted that one Project Leader felt that the hiring selection process should be done by the field teams instead of a community organization.

Number of People Hired 2009

As per the reports received, fifty-one (51) local community members worked in the GEM Field Camps, usually on a rotational basis. Forty-nine (49) of these were GEM hires. The remaining two were hired by C-NGO and Fortune Minerals. The majority of those hired fulfilled the functions of camp cooks, camp maintenance crew and wildlife monitors/observers. Approximately seven (7) hires worked as field assistants using GPS, preparing rock samples or as logistic coordinators within the community.

Projected number of hires for 2010

As per the reports received, it is projected that the Summer 2010 filed season will include hiring approximately thirty-two local community members. For the Multiple Metals - Northwest Canadian Cordillera (Yukon, B.C.) project wildlife monitors may be more essential as the planned camp site is near the head of a fiord and is close to known polar bear denning grounds.

Obstacles to Community Engagement

A large majority of the community engagement activities did not meet with any obstacles. Therefore, it can not be perceived presently that consistent barriers exist concerning community engagement.

However, it was noted that some First Nation groups in Yukon are internally complex. For example the Selkirk First Nation has different sub-groups (eg. Land use Group and Economic Development Group) that can be completely at odds with accepting mapping projects on their land. The defining of Selkirk First Nations land is complex between the category A, category B, and traditional territory, all which come with different rights. However, the Selkirk First Nation believes all the lands have the same rights. YGS has the right to map traditional lands, but First Nations bands don't recognize this.

In another community an elder from the village mentioned that she and her husband had not celebrated their 50th anniversary because there had been so many deaths this year, which might have accounted for the low response rate in that community.

Finally, it was noted that setting up meetings from the South poses difficulties. Although the community was very accommodating, it is hard to find everyone in the same place at the same time.

Recommendations to Community Engagement

One Project Leader recommended that having a PT representative overseeing consultations is vital as some First Nations might, during Treaty negotiations, have cut of the negotiations with the Federal government without the Project Leader being aware of the situation.

Obstacles to Hiring Process

Obstacles to hiring were few, although it was noted that hiring youth in field camps is difficult because high school age students seek employment mainly though the various available job search boards and not through the Hamlet or HTO offices. Youth have low interest in jobs in remote locations for extended periods of time. Finally, like all high school age persons across Canada, students are more interested in remaining with their peers during the summer than being far removed from them.

It was also noted, for the community of Kitkatla, BC (Gitxaala First Nation) that the community was unresponsive to the presentation of employment opportunities.

Some noted that the suggested route by SSO of hiring using an LOA was a difficult process. Finally, many of those hired through the Hamlet office were not prepared for the rugged work or environment inherent in a field camp and so were not prepared to do the geological field work necessary.

Recommendations to Hiring Process

It has been recommended that the age limit of student hires be 18 years or older and that a grade 10 education level would be acceptable. A better system for hiring on an LOA should be instituted to facilitate the hiring process. Appropriate foot wear should be provided to those people who have been hired. Finally, before working in a field camp each person must be trained in Health and Safety techniques. This training must be made available to community members in anticipation of potential up-coming employment opportunities. It was suggested that training for youth be given in the locality of where they go to school rather than in their community.

Suggested Community Training

The suggested pre-employment trainings are Basic and Wilderness First Aid, Prospector Courses and community-based Geosciences Field Schools that focus on the local surroundings.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the engagement process created opportunities for links with communities to begin. Early engagement of communities is recommended and partnering with a PT representative for the engagement process is beneficial for guidance of process and their socio-political awareness. It is clear that the majority of communities would like to see long term benefits derive from GEM activities. It is equally evident that communities require that their traditions be taken into account and the sacred and important heritage sites be respected. The hiring process, although not uniform, can be improved by either establishing a more efficient LOA process or by using Hamlet or Hunters and Trappers offices or perhaps, both to ensure hiring process flexibility. Community members need to have prior access to Health and Safety training and the furnishing of appropriate foot wear is sometimes necessary. More awareness of GEM activities and the potential for long term benefits for Northerners is created by school and community presentations, community members' visits to field camps and by procuring and hiring locally. Finally, follow-up engagement to share GEM results would close the circle and strengthen the established links.