Local youth learned how to inspire others through music during a workshop with the award-winning Alberta group Asani today.
FORT McMURRAY, Alberta – Local youth learned how to inspire others through music during a workshop with the award-winning Alberta group Asani today.
“We hope to instill the joy of music and performing to the students of Dr. Clark School and how inspiring it is to celebrate our Aboriginal culture through song,” said Asani’s Debbie Houle.
Syncrude brought the Aboriginal women’s trio to Fort McMurray today for a special workshop in the morning with the children’s Aboriginal drumming group from Fort McMurray’s Dr. Clark School. Both groups were then invited to perform at the luncheon hosted by Syncrude for local Aboriginal people, business leaders and Elders to celebrate local culture and achievements.
Entering its 40th year with an Aboriginal relations program, Syncrude is still the only company in Canada to provide a comprehensive, stand-alone report to the community on its progress. This year, every household in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo will receive a copy of Syncrude’s 2011 Aboriginal Review, entitled Pathways.
The life journeys of two local Aboriginal leaders – Fort McKay First Nation Elder Wilfred Grandjamb and Métis 1935 President and Elder James “Dickie” Dragon – are featured in the report. The report also highlights some of the organization’s achievements, including:
- More than $1 million invested in Aboriginal community projects in 2010.
- Cumulative spending with First Nations- and Métis-owned companies of more than $1.5 billion since 1992, including $148 million in 2010.
- Hiring of 59 Aboriginal people in 2010. Of Syncrude’s total workforce, about 8.4% employees are of self-declared First Nations, Métis or Inuit descent.
The publication is available at www.syncrude.com.
The Syncrude Project is a Joint Venture undertaking among Canadian Oil Sands Partnership, Imperial Oil Resources, Mocal Energy Limited, Murphy Oil Company Ltd., Nexen Oil Sands Partnership, Sinopec Oil Sands Partnership and Suncor Energy Oil and Gas Partnership.
