Indigenous Relations Team

Syncrude’s Indigenous Relations team supports our commitments to Indigenous communities. They manage the day-to-day interactions and relationships with local residents.

Lana Hill
Senior Advisor, Indigenous and Community Relations – Upstream
hill.lana@syncrude.com
825-409-7266

Tracey Stephen
Senior Advisor, Indigenous and Community Relations – Upstream
stephen.tracey@syncrude.com
825-409-7490

Mel Boostrom
Advisor, Indigenous and Community Relations – Upstream
boostrom.mel@syncrude.com
825-409-7662

Lisa Nelson
Advisor, Indigenous and Community Relations – Upstream
nelson.lisa@syncrude.com
825-409-7276

Doug Webb
Indigenous Business Liaison
webb.doug@syncrude.com
825-409-7258

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Mar 14

Posted @withregram • @suncorenergy We’re using automation to increase the efficiency of our mine dispatch system.

Kriste McCann is one of the dispatchers at our Mildred Lake site benefitting from this technology. She says it has seen great success at the site and is helping to free up dispatchers’ time to focus on optimal routes for the mining trucks.

The innovative process is one of the ways we continue to harness technology to improve the reliability and productivity performance of our operations.

Click the link in our bio to learn more.

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Feb 16

Did you know that Syncrude is an oil sands operation located north of Fort McMurray? The project has two sites: Mildred Lake and Aurora, where about 6,000 people work each day.

Learn more about this project that's part of @suncorenergy's regional oil sands assets. Click the link in our bio.

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Jan 20

Posted @withregram • @suncorenergy Working together accomplishes great things. The Mildred Lake team worked hard to reduce SO2 from flaring to an all-time low in 2022. The improvement was recognized with a Suncor Excellence Award last November.

Click the link in our bio to learn more about this accomplishment.

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Jan 12

Posted @withregram • @suncorenergy Meet Gretchen and Clementine, a pair of feathered members of our workforce that help safely deter ravens from roosting at our plants north of Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo.

Gretchen, a Northern Goshawk and Clementine, a Eurasian Eagle-Owl, are members of our Falconry Program.

#oilsands #biodiversity #ymm

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Jan 5

Eight @suncorenergy employees were recently recognized on @YMMMagazine’s Top 50 Under 50 list! It’s special to us to have so many people on our team be acknowledged for the impact they make in their community.

Click the link in our bio to read the full story.

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Dec 24

Posted @withrepost • @suncorenergy We’re always proud to highlight the great work our employees do in their communities. Harry Budgell, known as “Syncrude Santa” around the Wood Buffalo area, has spent the past 20 years sparking joy for children as the jolly man in red.

Click the link in our bio to read the full story.

#syncrudeproud #ymm #santa

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Dec 22

Posted @withrepost • @suncorenergy Spreading holiday cheer, members of @syncrude_canada Emergency Services participated in Fort McMurray’s annual Santa Claus parade. Thanks to the local crew for making the celebration festive!

#ymm #oilsands

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Dec 15

Posted @withrepost • @suncorenergy This group of women completed a training program at Syncrude to prepare them for a career as heavy equipment operators. It’s Syncrude’s third year working with @wbfintrades, an Edmonton-based non-profit organization inspiring women to chase new career opportunities in industries where they are historically underrepresented.

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Dec 2

Posted @withrepost • @suncorenergy Thanks to all who supported the 30th Annual @syncrude_canada Food Drive! This year, the Corporate Challenge raised $344,643 and the three-day food drive collected 45,685 lbs of food to help the @feedymm.

A special shoutout to our employees who volunteered!

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Jun 10

Posted @withregram • @suncorenergy Peter Zebedee, our Executive Vice President, Mining and Upgrading, recently attended the 2022 @indspire.ca Awards.

"It was a bit humbling celebrate all of the award recipients and hear their stories and accomplishments,” says Peter.

Along with @syncrude_canada, we’re pleased to support this wonderful and inspirational event honouring and celebrating amazing Canadians.

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May 27

Posted @withregram • @suncorenergy The NorCan Infinity Pathway to Métis Youth Apprenticeship Program is helping pave the way to a more inclusive energy industry. The innovative partnership between NorCan Electric Inc., @infinitymetiscorp and @syncrude_canada introduces Métis youth to various oil and gas sites around Fort McMurray.

The participants start with simpler roles before graduating to full-time roles after they are comfortable at the site. Throughout the program, participants have access to a mentor for advice, and continued support from Infinity Métis Corp. It’s one small way to keep youth in the community and enhance inclusion in the energy industry.

Learn more about the program by clicking the link in our bio.

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Mar 25

Posted @withregram • @suncorenergy With spring having recently arrived our reclamation team will soon be busy tree planting on our reclaimed areas. We are committed to preserving and promoting biodiversity in all areas where we work.

At Suncor, we believe that it’s important to show that our land reclamation practices are creating sustainable habitats for local species to return, including those of traditional importance to Indigenous communities.

#sustainability #oilsands #reclamation #oilsandsreclamation

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Mar 24

Posted @withregram • @suncorenergy Sherill Stevens, a chartered accountant, traded her computer for steel-toed boots when she moved into a leadership role at @syncrude_canada's Aurora and Mildred Lake mines in a mid-career change.

“It’s the same business but a very different world,” says Sherill. “But it’s an example of how Syncrude provides different roles and opportunities for its employees to grow their career.”

After five years of working at the mines, Sherill now works as a value stream leader for Mining, Extraction & Tailings. She values what she has learned about herself along the way, both as a woman and Indigenous person working in leadership.

“The mine isn’t a man’s world – it is Syncrude’s and Suncor’s world and that includes women. I’m so glad I made that switch.”

Learn more about Sherill's journey, click the link in our bio.

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Mar 22

As a daughter of a sailor, Lesley Warren always felt a close connection to water. But rather than following her father into the Royal Navy and exploring the briny deep, she followed her passion for water through scientific pursuits.

“My family was always linked to water because of my father, who was stationed throughout the world, so we followed him. But water was always the thread,” says Lesley, who was born in England but grew up in several different ports of call.

“Shortly after we emigrated to Canada when I was a teenager, I realized I could study water and wanted to pursue that. Water underpins human society.” More than 30 years and two degrees later, she’s leading a team of scientists from the @uoft conducting critical research on Base Mine Lake, Syncrude’s demonstration project of our water-capping technology for fluid fine tailings.

Learn more about Lesley, how she’s helping shape the approach to pit lakes in the #oilsands and our overall strategy, click the link in bio.

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Mar 4

Posted @withregram • @suncorenergy Watching a Discovery Channel documentary about women operating heavy equipment in mines unearthed a whole new world for a 19-year-old Robin Hebbard in Deer Lake, Newfoundland.

“I knew that’s what I wanted to do so I hopped on a plane to Fort McMurray,” says Robin. “No woman in my family had ever left Newfoundland for work. They thought I had some pluck but figured, ‘she’ll be back.’ Sixteen years later, I’m still not back because I’ve found my dream job.”

Very few women operated heavy equipment at our Aurora mine when Robin Hebbard started working there in 2007. Fifteen years later, about 30 per cent of the occupational employees at the site are women thanks to initiatives like @wbfintrades. And that increase in female operators has forced a change in the locker rooms.

Click the link in our bio for more.

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Mar 3

Posted @withregram • @suncorenergy For 31 years, the Canadian Mining Games have given students across Canada a chance to showcase their mining knowledge, problem-solving and adaptive capabilities. We’re excited to continue supporting this special tradition, and we wish all participants good luck!

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Feb 19

Posted @withregram • @suncorenergy How do you bond with your family? Do you banter about sports? Or share a passion for music?

For Carla Young and her family, it’s all about the giant mining equipment they operate. They’re all heavy equipment operators at the Syncrude Mildred Lake site. Seeing generations working side-by-side is not uncommon across Suncor, especially for the sites that have been in operation for decades like Base Plant, Mildred Lake, and Aurora. Employing families strengthens our culture and passes on a legacy of pride and history across operations.

Happy Family Day weekend, everyone!

Learn more about Carla and her family by clicking the link in our bio.

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Jan 28

Posted @withregram • @suncorenergy Thousands of years ago, it’s estimated that as many as 168,000 wood bison roamed the boreal forests of Western Canada and much of the Northwest Territories, Yukon and Alaska. Their hooves transported seeds with every heavy step, their waste nourished the earth as they traveled, wisps of their thick fur were used by birds for nests and Indigenous People relied on the wood bison for everything from food to shelter. Wood bison were vital to all life in the north.

By the late 1880s, the mighty creatures that shaped the ecosystem and inspired traditional teachings, were almost completely extinct. Today, wood bison are listed as threatened in the Species at Risk Act with a population of an estimated 10,000 in Canada.

Efforts to restore wood bison numbers are being made, including work done by @syncrude_canada, which is now operated by Suncor.

When we welcomed Syncrude to the Suncor family in September 2021, we also welcomed the herd of bison that is taken care of by Syncrude’s Tailings and Lease Development team along with the @fortmckay.

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Dec 22

From our herd to yours, wishing the Syncrude team and the entire Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo region a happy and healthy holiday season. ❄️✨ #rmwb #ymm

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Dec 16

It's been two months since we joined our long-standing neighbour and oil sand pioneer @suncorenergy. It was a critical step towards driving integration, efficiencies and competitiveness across assets in the Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo.

Our integration with Suncor will lead to improvements and benefit from our collective strength in our regional operations while continuing to responsibly develop Alberta’s valuable oil sands resource.

Click the link on our bio for more