We support Indigenous community voices by aligning project mandates with community goals and aspirations. Our approach to Indigenous engagement and consultation strengthens communities through projects. Given today’s regulatory expectations, the functions of community engagement, consultation, and negotiations remain a central stream of activities for project initiation, project development, and project management. We have the professional ability and agility to align a project’s mandate with a community’s aspirations. We provide services from developing Indigenous inclusion initiatives to designing relationship-based consultation programs to implementing project agreements and managing stakeholder management systems for the record of consultation (our team is trained in Praxis, Borealis, and Staketracker). We have experience in in-person, virtual and hybrid approaches. […] Read more

We collaborate closely with Project Proponents (industry and Indigenous communities) to meet the Duty to Consult and Accommodate requirements. We create communication materials that are visually appealing with clear graphics and concise language. We use a range of approaches to undertake engagement including open houses, focus groups, radio call-in shows, websites, social media, newsletters, surveys and more. We keep up with the evolving landscape of best practices and consider community and client needs. We are versed in meeting AODA requirements. Read less

INDIGENOUS PARTICIPATION PLANS

We design, develop, and deliver Indigenous Participation Plans (IPPs) to assist clients in fostering meaningful and sustainable engagement with Indigenous communities. Recognizing the importance of building strong, mutually beneficial relationships, we specialize in developing comprehensive and tailored Indigenous participation plans that align with corporate goals, government requirements, and community expectations.

Indigenous Participation Plans have become much more prevalent in the last few years for many projects, particularly those being led by the Federal Government. There is not a “one-size fits all” approach that can be used for these; however, they typically include some variation of these aspects: skills development, human resources, Indigenous business, innovative approaches, socio-economic benefits, consultation and engagement, and Indigenous Knowledge and cultural awareness. These plans are complex and may have different goals, including advancing reconciliation and direct benefits to projects. We have experience in preparing and delivering multiple IPPs and have a number of new ideas that we can bring to the team to identify new opportunities. One of the big challenges for IPPs is that there are only so many existing Indigenous businesses and Indigenous Peoples in the marketplace, so we are focusing on how to work with them to grow the market.

FACILITATION SERVICES

We facilitate group problem-solving and decision-making for our many clients. Our team members are Certified Professional Facilitators with the International Association of Facilitators (trained in Focused Conversation Methods, Group Facilitation Methods, Arts & Science of Participation, and Advanced ToP Tools) as well as qualified with the Certificate in Public Participation (which includes Planning for Effective Participation, Communications for Effective Public Participation, Techniques for Effective Public Participation, and Emotion & Outrage during Public Participation) by the International Association of Public Participation. […] Read more

We provide clients with facilitation advice and services to inform, consult, engage, guide, collaborate, and empower Indigenous communities, the public, stakeholders and organizations. We use a variety of facilitation techniques to engage, share information, educate and gather feedback. Read less

STRATEGIC PLANNING, BUSINESS PLANS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES

Strategic planning and economic development strategies are becoming more important today, given the many challenges and major opportunities clients are facing. We facilitate and create space for participants to share experiences, insights, and solutions to their realities. Aligning the layered, interactive complexities of government expectations, corporate policies, and community preferences is much more challenging than ever before. […] Read more

Our strategic advisory services are based on our multilateral engagements, deep community experiences, resource development projects, and Crown relationships with agencies. We help clients identify the underlying challenges, assist in scenario planning & risk management, and formulate strategic pathways in a way that leads to productive, working relationships for all parties. We also support the preparation of Impact Benefit Agreements, Memorandum of Understanding, Joint Ventures, and Limited Partnerships. Read less

CAPACITY ASSESSMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT

We support capacity-building efforts that assess and build competencies, skills, knowledge, motivation, and commitment at the organizational, community, and individual levels. While frequently overlooked, capacity building is the all-important support process that enables communities and organizations to become a strategic force. We help our clients improve performance by assessing and building capabilities, skills, knowledge, motivation, and commitment at the individual, organizational, and community levels. Capacity building enables Indigenous communities and organizations to develop competencies and skills that can make them more effective and sustainable, thus increasing the potential to enrich lives and solve the most challenging problems. […] Read more

Capacity development and capacity support services are often provided alongside other services, such as training, monitoring, and evaluation. It is our view that building community capacity is building Indigenous Nations. We provide support through training, monitoring and evaluation alongside our other services. Read less

FUNDING AND PROJECT SUPPORT

We have worked with Indigenous communities to obtain funding for a variety of initiatives while ensuring project success. With over 30 years of dealing with government grants and Canadian foundations, we have helped Indigenous communities obtain funding for a variety of initiatives from youth programs to playgrounds to land-based activities. We will work with your team to clarify your project goals and align them with the ideal funding organization. Our experienced proposal writers will help with your application based on the criteria of all available funding sources. We also provide project management and project support services for Indigenous communities and organizations. Our firm understands that Indigenous communities and organizations only have so much time and bandwidth to spend on multiple files, so we help to ensure project success by being on time and on budget. We work alongside Indigenous clients to obtain funding for a variety of initiatives from youth programs to playgrounds to land-based activities. We will help develop applications for our clients based on the criteria of all available funding sources.

INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE, LAND USE & OCCUPANCY, and Land Use Planning

Supporting Indigenous communities by working collaboratively to provide valuable information for holistic environmental understanding. We have team members who have undertaken many Indigenous Knowledge studies and understand that it is not a one-size-fits-all approach. We work closely with Leadership, Elders, Land Users, Knowledge Holders, Youth and community members. […] Read more

Working with Indigenous Nations and communities to co-create land use plans for reserve lands or their territories. We have experience under the First Nations Land Management Act, Far North Act and supporting First Nations who want their own Land Use Plans for their reserve or territory. Read less

COMMUNITY-BASED SOCIAL RESEARCH

We help clients make informed decisions by producing insightful analyses of key findings based on Indigenous values and principles of ownership, control, access, and possession (OCAP ®). Facts, data, and insights matter in order to make an informed decision. Our team members conduct specialized Indigenous-based research that produces insightful analyses of key findings. We provide a range of methodologies from community-based participatory research, storytelling, and culture-specific methods to more social science approaches such as questionnaires, focus groups, key informant interviews, and intercept surveys. […] Read more

We are experts in working with diverse communities and varied stakeholder interests to achieve project goals. We are trained in Gender Based Analysis+ as well as OCAP. We specialize in community-based scope and design, primary research (surveys, focus groups, in-depth interviews, small or large group conversations, field surveys, key informant interviews, engagement sessions, community open houses) and secondary research (literature reviews, data collection and analysis). Read less

SOCIO-ECONOMIC Assessments

Our team members are recognized leaders in socio-economic assessments and are experts in working with diverse communities and stakeholder interests to achieve project goals. Our experience includes leading the design of socio-economic methodologies and work plans and supporting the baseline data collection and impact assessments. We conduct socio-economic field surveys, interviews, engagement sessions, data analysis, and report writing for our clients in accordance with national and provincial regulatory requirements and codes of practice.

DATA SCIENCE

We support clients in making informed decisions about quality of life by organizing and analyzing data to produce meaningful metrics, trends, and visuals. We use advanced software to organize and analyze socio-economic data, which enables our clients to make informed decisions about their initiatives. We collect datasets from publicly available databases and websites in order to aggregate data to produce meaningful socio-economic metrics, model trends using statistical tools, and visualize community data in insightful ways.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND IMPACT ASSESSMENTS

We have experience in both Provincial Environmental Assessments (EA) and Federal Impact Assessments (IA) and in preparing materials in accordance with national and provincial regulatory requirements and codes of practice. We focus primarily on the following aspects of EA/IA: land use, Indigenous/Traditional Knowledge and Land Use, engagement, socio-economic analysis, mitigation measures, and impacts on Aboriginal and Treaty Rights. We contribute to all aspects of an EA/IA.

We provide information across a wide variety of platforms (websites, social media, etc.) in plain language for communities, as well as summary reports with aggregated data for clients to understand key discussion themes. We create communication materials that are visually appealing with clear graphics and concise language.

EVENT COORDINATION SERVICES

Our team of experienced event professionals is dedicated to delivering exceptional event production and coordination services. Whether you need help planning a corporate event, product launch, webinar, or any other type of special event, we have the expertise and resources to bring your vision to life. […] Read more

Our services include everything from concept and design to execution and post-event wrap-up. We work with you every step of the way to ensure that your event is perfectly planned and executed, with no detail overlooked. We understand that every event is different, which is why we tailor our services to meet your specific needs. Whether you need help with venue selection, vendor management, event marketing, branding or any other aspect of event planning, we can help. Read less

DIGITAL MARKETING / content creation / branding

Our Digital Marketing and Graphics Team is one of the passionate areas of our firm. We can help you build a strong social media presence on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and others. Our team creates engaging content, runs targeted ads, and tracks your social media metrics to help you achieve your goals. We create high-quality, engaging, and SEO-optimized content that attracts and retains your target audience, builds brand authority, and generates leads and conversions. […] Read more

Whether you need a complete branding overhaul or a simple social media graphic, we have the skills and expertise to bring your ideas to fruition. We offer a range of graphic design services, including branding and identity, print design, digital design, and more. Promotional products that reflect your company are an essential part of any successful marketing campaign or event. They provide a cost-effective way to create brand awareness. We can design your promotional products to send to manufacturers to make your marketing efforts more effective, efficient, and memorable. Read less

MULTI-MEDIA PRODUCTION SERVICES WITH THEYMEDIA

In collaboration with the award-winning Indigenous-owned agency, TheyMedia, we are now proud to offer everything from a full suite of media services. We are committed to ensuring that every project we work on meets the highest standards of quality and creativity. We specialize in promotional videos for your businesses, documentaries, social media videos, live-streaming, or any other type of audio-visual content. We can also support Website Development and provide Audio-Visual Production Services.