Last night at the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) Vancouver Gala, Syncrude was honoured to celebrate achieving the Gold Level accreditation in the CCAB Progressive Aboriginal Relations program. This is the 5th time Syncrude has earned Gold Level accreditation and is the only oil sands operator to hold this distinction. Following is the CCAB news release:
The Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) is pleased to announce this year’s results of the Progressive Aboriginal Relations (PAR) program — the first and only corporate responsibility assurance program in the world with an emphasis on Aboriginal relations — at the CCAB’s 10th Annual Vancouver Gala on September 27, 2012.
Four PAR companies recertified in 2012: Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc., IBM Canada Ltd. and Syncrude Canada Ltd. recertified at Gold; and BC Hydro progressed from Silver to Gold. Four new certifying companies, achieving Silver standing, are BC Housing, Bruce Power, Nexen Inc., and Shell Canada Ltd.
Also joining those PAR companies, at the Committed Level, are Bee-Clean Building Maintenance, Fortune Minerals Ltd., The Roche Group and TransAlta — increasing the number of PAR member companies to 28, a first for the program. Companies joining PAR are given the option to commence at the Committed level before Certification.
“The increase in participation is proof that corporate Canada recognizes that Aboriginal people want to be a successful part of business in this country,” says JP Gladu, President and CEO of the CCAB. “PAR isn’t just about altruism. It’s about creating partnerships with Canada’s fastest growing workforce, Aboriginal people, and that is critical to the growth of business in Canada.”
Beginning in 1998, PAR has evolved into an online management and reporting program helping companies assess, plan and achieve Aboriginal relations goals and a certification program that confirms performance at the Bronze, Silver or Gold level.
Certified companies promote their achievement with a PAR logo that signals to communities, and the market place, that they are good business partners, great places to work, and are committed to prosperity in Aboriginal communities; the designation is supported by an independent, third party verification of company reports on outcomes and initiatives in the four key areas that matter most to Aboriginal communities — Employment, Community Investment, Business Development, and Community Engagement — and a juried review by Aboriginal business people.
For more information on PAR, please visit CCAB.com.
