The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce is teaming up with local groups including in P.A. to encourage businesses to take a survey about Indigenous engagement. (file photo/paNOW Staff)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

Business and Employment

Provincial business group to survey Indigenous engagement

Jan 15, 2020 | 2:00 PM

The Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce is looking to find out more about how businesses in the province are doing in terms of engaging with Indigenous businesses and communities.

The provincial organization is partnering with local chambers including the Prince Albert and District Chamber of Commerce. The organizations are asking businesses to fill out a survey on Indigenous engagement.

Nick Crighton, director of Indigenous engagement with the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce, said the survey is seeking an array of information.

“[It’s to] do a quick environment scan on where they’re at in terms of hiring, attracting, retaining, recruiting, or even procuring work with Indigenous-owned businesses or Indigenous communities,” he said.

Crighton explained the provincial chamber believes it is important for businesses to reach out to Indigenous people in Saskatchewan because they are set up to play a big role in the future.

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“It is the youngest and fastest growing population in Canada,” he said. “Not only in Canada, but also in Saskatchewan as well.”

Chamber staff hope to release some of the results from this survey in a month. Crighton said the latest initiative comes on the heels of the chamber’s newly released Indigenous engagement charter, which outlines commitments from signatory businesses to hire Indigenous workers, along with engaging and supporting communities. The organization also seeks to create a directory of Indigenous-owned businesses.

Richard Ahenakew, the general manager for the Northern Lights Casino in P.A., said these efforts will help create economic opportunity for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

“Anytime we can get new businesses started in our communities is a good thing,” he said.

Ahenakew said the charter has been a long time in the making and he participated in several discussions over the years.

The long-serving casino GM said he likes the idea of setting up a directory to help Indigenous-owned businesses as it can be challenging for smaller businesses to get the word out about their services.

“It’s good to have those databases set up, of not only Aboriginal, but also local companies,” he said.

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MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn