Northeastern Alberta Aboriginal Business Association (NAABA) Profile

Linking Aboriginal communities with economic development resources is an important matter in the oil sands region.

“Largely excluded from the economic mainstream in Canada, Aboriginal businesses in Northeastern Alberta both share in the wealth created by developing the resource and creating opportunities,” says Cheryl Alexander, General Manager of the Northeastern Alberta Aboriginal Business Association (NAABA).

NAABA prides itself on collaborating with business and industry to promote and support the development of all Aboriginal people in the Wood Buffalo region.

“NAABA provides a key role in business development through our resource centre and mentoring programs. By bringing industry and the Aboriginal business community together, we work together to increase Aboriginal involvement in the oil sands so the economic benefits of the development can be shared,” says Alexander.

The participation of Aboriginal business has increased over the past decade. Between 1998 and 2009, the value of contracts for Aboriginal companies in the region was $3.7 billion, with $711 million alone in contracts in 2009. This represents an approximate tenfold increase since the Oil Sands Developers Group’s first Aboriginal business survey in 1998.

The industry employed more than 1,600 Aboriginal employees in permanent jobs in the industry in 2009, representing real and measurable progress from the 800 Aboriginal employees that were employed during the first survey in 1998.

According to Don Thompson, President of the Oil Sands Developers Group, “This is a direct result of collaboration between NAABA and the producers to both assist in the development of Aboriginal businesses and Aboriginal workforce. The funding of scholarships and training programs at Keyano College, NAIT, SAIT and other universities in Alberta has directly contributed to the growth in Aboriginal employment in the region. Support for training and education, employment, and business opportunities contributes to a mutually beneficial relationship.”

This relationship was on full display at the Fourth Annual Aboriginal Business Showcase on March 24th. Sponsored by Suncor and supported by the governments of Alberta and Canada, the showcase is considered a great benefit for organizations looking for a single point of entry into the entire Aboriginal business community.

“We are proud of the milestones that NAABA and our members have achieved,” says Alexander. “We have worked hard to build up these relationships that benefit the community as a whole, and NAABA will continue to work hard to make progress on our economic and social goals.”

Please visit NAABA for more details.

Did you know...

Canada’s oil reserves are second in the world behind Saudi Arabia

Of 179 billion barrels of Canada’s oil reserves, the oil sands represent 97 per cent

For each permanent oil sands-related job, nine additional direct, indirect and induced jobs are created in Canada.

Currently 240,000 jobs in Canada are directly or indirectly linked to the oil sands.

Between 2000 and 2020, oil sands development has the potential to generate at least $123 billion in royalty and tax revenues for Canada’s federal and provincial governments.

The oil sands currently account for only 4.6 per cent of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. This is less than 0.1 per cent of total global emissions.

Alberta was the first jurisdiction in North America to legislate industrial greenhouse gas emission reductions.

Producers have made great strides in reducing the amount of emissions per barrel of bitumen extracted from the oil sands. The equivalent of 2.6 million tonnes of reductions have been made – the same as taking more than 550,000 cars off the road.

The province of Alberta has committed $4 billion toward climate change initiatives, including $2 billion for public transit and $2 billion for carbon capture and storage (CCS). This is the largest CCS investment in the world.

Air quality around oil sands operations is better than all North American cities reviewed by the Alberta Clean Air Strategic Alliance.

Alberta air quality standards are the most stringent in Canada.

Air quality in Fort McMurray is monitored around the clock. Results are available at the WBEA site.

Air quality has been extensively modeled and demonstrated to remain within Alberta’s strict air quality guidelines even with all projected oil sands development in place.

Oil sands are located below the surface of 140,200 square kilometres of land, 4.5 per cent of Canada’s total boreal forest.

Mineable oil sands only exist under 0.1 per cent of Canada’s total boreal forest.

While disturbance is occurring daily, in more than 40 years oil sands mining has disturbed about one hundredth of one per cent of the Canadian boreal forest – some 500 square kilometres.

Since 2001, coordinated efforts between government and industry through Integrated Landscape Management (ILM) activities have reduced land surface disturbance in the region by 20 per cent.

As required by law, and included in all project approvals, reclamation work is ongoing and continuous in the oil sands. All lands disturbed by oil sands will be reclaimed.

Mining is only an option for oil sands that sit less than 75 metres under the surface.

More than 80 per cent of the oil sands will be developed using in-situ technologies.

In-situ projects resemble conventional oil development and do not require tailings ponds, or mine pits.

In-situ operations create linear disturbance of the surface for wellheads. But new technology and processes, including low-impact seismic and directional drilling, are reducing that footprint.

In Alberta, Alberta Environment regulates oil and gas industry water use under the Water Act. Oil and gas companies are subject to the same conditions for use as any other licensed water user in Alberta.

Currently, the oil sands industry draws less than half the water allocation allowed by Alberta Environment from the Athabasca River.

Water allocations are strictly controlled during low flow periods.

More than 80 per cent of water drawn by industry from the Athabasca is recycled.

Non-potable water which is unsuitable for drinking, livestock or irrigation use is used wherever possible for in-situ production.

Alberta Environment prohibits the release of any water to the Athabasca River that does not meet water quality requirements.

RAMP, a multi-stakeholder body, conducts annual monitoring of the river’s fish species, fish habitat and water quality. The monitoring has not detected significant changes to the Athabasca River. www.ramp-alberta.org

Bitumen from exposed oil sands along the river banks has seeped naturally into the Athabasca River as it cut its way through the landscape.

Tailings contain the water, residual bitumen, sand and clay that is left over when the bitumen is separated from the sand.

In the ponds, the solids separate from the water so the water may be recycled into the process again. Of the total water used by oil sands mines, 80 per cent is recycled.

During and after mining, the tailings ponds are reclaimed. No tailings water is released to the Athabasca River or any other watercourse.

The first tailings ponds will be reclaimed in 2010.

80 per cent of the oil sands resource will be developed using in-situ technology which does not require tailings ponds.

More Facts