Through the Manitoba Indigenous Critical Minerals Partnerships (MICMP), with Strategic Partnerships Initiative (SPI) funding, PrairiesCan supports Indigenous communities and their priorities around participation in critical minerals projects. Projects are focused on workforce development, business development and capacity building.
“In order to get long-term employment, it requires training, and PrairiesCan has done a great job in service to us to help us get there.” – Larson Anderson, Former Chief, Norway House Cree Nation.
“I’m hoping that we become a supplier of labour that’s readily available for all industries. So long-term benefits we’re after here, not just short-term training, but long-term systemic change.” – Chief E.J. Fontaine, Sagkeeng First Nation
Supporting Indigenous communities and their priorities (length: 2:11 minutes)
Transcript: Supporting Indigenous communities and their priorities
[Music starts]
[Video starts with aerial clips of northern Manitoba wilderness and lakes, Norway House Cree Nation quarry and Flin Flon]
Jessica Ferris, PrairiesCan Senior Business Officer: The Manitoba Indigenous Critical Minerals Partnerships Initiative is a program led by PrairiesCan
[Video transition to Jessica Ferris sitting on a chair in a boardroom, speaking to camera]
Jessica: with Strategic Partnerships Initiative funding. And the program aims to
[Video shows clips of quarry machinery, both ground level and arial as Jessica continues to speak]
Jessica: support Indigenous Nations and their priorities around participation
[Video transitions to arial of Flin Flon and ground level shots of mining students observing fork lift operation]
Jessica: in critical minerals projects. So often that looks like workforce development projects, business development
[Video transitions to an arial of a Norway House Cree Nation quarry zooming into ground level, following a truck in towards quarry equipment]
Jessica: and capacity building. And we’re seeing a lot more Indigenous ownership.
[Video transitions from a ground level close up of heavy duty equipment, to an arial of Sagkeeng First Nation]
Chief E.J. Fontaine, Strengthening Mineral Sector Workforce Development in Sagkeeng First Nation: I’m hoping that we become a supplier of labour that’s readily
[Video transitions to program participants in a classroom learning environment]
Chief Fontaine: available for all industries.
[Video transitions to Chief Fontaine sitting in the Council room speaking to the camera]
Chief Fontaine: So long-term benefits we’re after here, not just short-term training,
[Video transitions to arial of Sagkeeng First Nation buildings as Chief Fontaine continues to speak]
Chief Fontaine: but long-term systemic change.
[Video shows an arial of a Norway House Cree Nation quarry]
Jamie Grant, Associate Vice President of Community & Industry Solutions, University College of the North Creating a Northern Manitoba Indigenous Train-to-Hire Mine Readiness Program: From the community perspective,
[Video transitions to Jamie Grant sitting in a classroom speaking to the camera]
Jamie: they can see that we’re delivering on what we said we were going to do,
[Video shows students learning forklift operations as Jamie continues to speak]
Jamie: that we are actually helping the people obtain an employment opportunity. And it’s not just a training program that they’re gonna go home and they’re gonna do nothing with.
[Video transitions to Jacelyn McCollum sitting in a classroom speaking to the camera]
Jacelyn McCollum, University College of the North Project: Create a Northern Manitoba Indigenous Train-to-Hire Mine Readiness Program Training Program Participant: I took this program because a lot of my family has worked in the mining field.
[Video shows program participants, including Jacelyn, in an outdoor learning environment learning forklift operations as she continues to speak]
Jacelyn: Being accepted into this program is going to help me land a job in the career path
[Video shows Jacelyn in an indoor classroom as she continues to speak]
Jacelyn: that I’m trying to strive for.
[Video shows program participants waving down from an aerial lift and transitions to a participant in a heavy machinery simulator, followed by Norway House Cree Nation quarry machinery]
Larson Anderson, Former Chief, Norway House Cree Nation, Support Norway House Cree Nation to Deliver a Training Program in Manitoba: In order to get long-term employment, it requires training and PrairiesCan has done a great job in
[Video shows a mean pointing out possible future development sites as Former Chief Anderson continues to speak]
Former Chief Anderson: service to us to help us get there.
[Video transitions to Former Chief Larson Anderson sitting at his desk speaking to the camera]
Former Chief Anderson: If it wasn’t for PrairiesCan we wouldn’t be able to do what we’re doing. It’s raised hope.
[Video transitions to arial of Flin Flon, Sagkeeng First Nation program participants in a classroom learning environment, including Derek Buboire]
Derek Buboire, Training Program Participant, Strengthening Mineral Sector Workforce Development in Sagkeeng First Nation: My spouse mentioned this program, which
[Video transitions to Derek sitting outdoors in a chair speaking to the camera with trees in the background]
Derek: I’m thankful for because it got me to face these fears and these doubts that I had before.
[Video transitions to Sagkeeng First Nation program participants in a classroom learning environment as Derek continues to speak]
Derek: And I find that they’re going away
[Video transitions to wilderness viewed from a moving vehicle as Derek continues to speak]
Derek: because I’ve been given a chance again to do something with my life that is actually meaningful.
[Video transitions to Derek sitting outdoors in a chair speaking to the camera with trees in the background]
Derek: It’s just up to me, am I going to use those tools that are offered?
[Video shows arial clips of Sagkeeng First Nation, Norway House Cree Nation quarry, transitioning to, Sagkeeng First Nation program participants in a classroom learning environment, including Elizabeth Epp]
Elizabeth Epp, Training Program Participant, Strengthening Mineral Sector Workforce Development in Sagkeeng First Nation: After the training program, I plan on
[Video transitions to Elizabeth sitting outdoors in a chair speaking to the camera with trees in the background]
Elizabeth: finishing my adult
[Video shows clips of smiling program participants from Norway House Cree Nation, University College of the North and Sagkeeng First Nation as Elizabeth continues to speak]
Elizabeth: education and getting my diploma I’d like to say, “Stay positive. You can do it.”
[Video shows arial of Paint Lake, Manitoba with Prairies Economic Development Canada’s federal signature overlayed]
[Canada federal signature shown on screen]
[Music ends]
