business NEWSLETTER

2022 · volume 2

President's Message

Boozhoo, members!

Another Ziigwan, or Spring, is upon us, though much of Northwestern Ontario has been covered in snow for what we hope is the last of the season. We at the ABPA hope your communities and businesses weathered the storm safely.

We’ve already hit the ground running this year, and board member Jason Thompson and I spoke at the Annual Rocks and Stocks event about the importance of First Nation owned business and the integration and involvement in Ontario’s critical minerals strategy. You can read more from the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Magazine in the newsletter below.

We’re also gearing up for our 2022 series of Pathways to Indigenous Prosperity (#P2IP) Events. At this time, we’re planning on virtual events for safety and accessibility, but perhaps we’ll be able to see our membership at an in-person event as we move farther from the pandemic.

Keep an eye out for registration details, and save the dates for our first events coming up in April and May, featuring presentations on HR Basics and Procurement Mythbusting. View the details below!

Chi-Miigwetch,

Jason

MEMBER PROFILE

Northern Mat & Bridge has over 20 Successful Years of Business as a 100% Canadian Company and the largest manufacturer of temporary access mats. Northern Mat & Bridge has the largest rental fleet of access mats and temporary bridges and the largest coast to coast network of installation equipment and storage yards in Canada. In 2019, they were chosen as Winner of Canada’s Best Small & Medium Sized Employers. They attribute this success to their 400+ dedicated employees… 20% of whom are Indigenous, including the CEO. Access is Pivotal, and Northern Mat & Bridge have the Solutions to get you where you need to go! You can read more about Northern Mat & Bridge below.

In the community

Update from Member Sodexo on the Rainy River Mine:

Sodexo Canada has been providing ongoing service and support to New Gold since the inception of the Rainy River project near Fort Frances, Ontario.

From an integrated solution for accommodation management to comprehensive food services and innovative technology, our relationships with Indigenous communities are mutually beneficial. We leverage local Indigenous talent and businesses to help us efficiently deliver our services and solidify our and New Gold’s partnerships with the local Indigenous communities. (70% of Sodexo’s local workforce are identifying as Indigenous)

You can read more about the project below:

𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 for the 2022 Aboriginal Forum. After a 2-year hiatus, NADF is returning to Timmins to host the event in partnership with the Canadian Mining Expo. Come experience the networking opportunities, hear from key representatives from First Nations, government, and business to share their insights and expertise on topics and issues related to revenue sharing, and business and workforce development for and with Aboriginal People. To register or inquire about sponsorship, use the button below:

Opportunities

Pathways to Indigenous Prosperity Online 2022

We’ll be resuming our #P2IP Online series in the coming months!

In April, we’ll be exploring how a small (but growing) business can navigate Human Resources. Joining us to discuss is Rachael Paquette, ABPA Board Director and founder of Paquette Law.

Following up in May, we’ll welcome Procurement Assistance Canada to present some myths and realities about Federal spending and procurement processes, moderated by ABPA Board Director and founder of Superior Strategies, Jason Thompson.

Keep an eye on our pages for registration details coming soon.

For Your Interest

Looking for som Ec Dev news for your afternoon coffee?

Enjoy this roundup of recent articles and news pieces from our region and network.

Do you have upcoming news, events, or something to share with the network? Email us for inclusion in the next newsletter.

Benefits of your membership

We provide information sessions and networking events targeting relevant topics and projects for business expansion in Northern Ontario.

We develop best practices for major First Nations development projects and non-First Nations businesses related to procurement policies and human resource polices focused on inclusion.

Members will be the first to know about special discounts on all events and access to new programs for doing business in Northern Ontario

Members will have better access to economic buyers and key decision makers in Northern Ontario through our business directory and special events and conferences.

We Need to hear from you.

Are there topics or areas of interest that you want to learn more about?

Do you know an Indigenous professional who you think our members should hear from?

What do you want to see from your ABPA membership?

We try to keep an ear to the ground, but Indigenous enterprise is a thriving, growing economy, and there’s always new voices to hear and new faces to see.

If there is something or someone you would want to see in a seminar, workshop, or networking event, we invite you to get in touch. Feel welcome to pitch us a topic, nominate a speaker, or simply tell us what’s important to you. Let us know…

Sponsor an ABPA Newsletter Today

Would you like to see your name and logo featured for our Anishnawbe Business Professionals community? Sponsor our newsletter. Your name, logo, description of services and contact information will be distributed to our membership and all our social media channels. If your Business or Organization would like to sponsor a future Newsletter, reach out to us at info@anishnawbebusiness.com.

Ch-Miigwetch for your support for Indigenous Business!