Babcock Canada is grateful for the opportunity to work on Indigenous traditional territories and homelands across Canada in Victoria, Winnipeg, Ottawa, and Halifax. We are committed to building meaningful relationships with Indigenous communities through an implementation framework focused on skills development, workforce inclusion, and partnering with Indigenous-owned businesses. To this end, Babcock recognizes the culture, heritage, and achievements of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples year-round, but June 21st, National Indigenous Peoples Day, is always special. Today, we celebrate the many achievements of the Indigenous communities, businesses, and peoples in whose traditional territories and homelands we conduct our business in.
We are excited to begin our recently announced commitment to investing in Canada’s future Indigenous workforce. Babcock Canada has committed to investing $200,000 annually in Indigenous skills development and training, in the form of youth engagement on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), bursaries and academic awards, Indigenous co-op student placements, and apprenticeships and internships.
In Victoria, British Columbia, Babcock is proud to be trusted to deliver the Victoria In-Service Support Contract (VISSC). Our operations in Victoria are based out of the government owned and operated Esquimalt Graving Dock which is located on the traditional territories of the Lək̓ʷəŋən people. We congratulate the Lək̓ʷəŋən community Songhees Nation for hosting their incredibly successful South Island Powwow on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation last fall. This was the first powwow held in Victoria for many years and Babcock Canada was honoured to sponsor and participate in the event. Since then, we have been working with Songhees to explore opportunities for collaboration in relation to VISSC and other Royal Canadian Navy programs in the future. We look forward to broadening those discussions to include other nations in the coming months.
In Winnipeg, Manitoba, Babcock deliver’s aerial wildfire suppression and air ambulance services. These services are delivered in Thompson (near Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation), The Pas (adjacent to Opaskwayak Cree Nation), and in Gimli on the western shore of Weenipagamiksaguygun (Lake Winnipeg) in the traditional territories of the Anishinaabe and Cree Peoples. Babcock’s operations in Manitoba are managed out of its facilities at the Winnipeg Airport, in the homeland of the Red River Métis, and the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, Cree, and Dakota Peoples. Congratulations to Brendon Major, our 2023 recipient of the Babcock Canada Award for Indigenous aircraft maintenance engineering students at Red River Polytech in Winnipeg, who we were proud to host for a tour of our facilities at the Winnipeg airport in May.
As well, congratulations to the citizens of the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) for unanimously ratifying the Red River Métis Self Government Recognition and Implementation Treaty with the federal Crown in right of Canada on June 3, 2023. Once the Treaty is given force by legislation passed by Parliament it will be enshrined in Canada’s Constitution.
In both Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Babcock Leonardo Canadian Aircrew Training (BLCAT), a joint venture between Babcock Canada and Leonardo Canada, is a pre-qualified bidder for Canada’s Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) program. This program will see the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) fixed and rotary-wing aircraft pilots and aircrew receive basic training in Moosejaw, Southport, and Winnipeg. Since 2021, BLCAT has been engaging the MMF and Southern Chief’s Organization (SCO) in Manitoba, and Saskatchewan First Nations and Métis Nation-Saskatchewan Western Region 3 in southern Saskatchewan, to explore opportunities for more meaningful participation in, and benefits from, the FAcT Program.
We would also like to congratulate the SCO for it’s very first – and highly successful – Economic Reconciliation Business Forum which took place June 13-24, 2023. BLCAT was a proud sponsor of the event, at which we were joined by strategic partners Athabasca Catering Limited, Bird Construction, and Dexterra Group. The forum was a great opportunity to network with economic development representatives from the 34 Anishinaabe and Dakota First Nations from southern Manitoba and business leaders from across Canada and we thank the SCO for including us.
In Saskatchewan we wish to congratulate Pasqua First Nation Group of Companies (PFN Group) – owned Pro Metal Industries on the May 2023 expansion of their Regina operations. This expansion includes a powder paint coating facility. Pro Metal is one of the only First Nations-owned metal fabrication and manufacturing enterprises in Canada, and the only 100% First Nations-owned supplier of metal fabrication services to Canada’s defence industry. BLCAT is working with PFN Group to explore opportunities to collaborate on the FAcT Program.
We would also like to acknowledge several Indigenous businesses across Canada who have recently joined Babcock Canada’s supply chain, including: Cota Aviation, Indigeno Travel, Northern Lights Petroleum, and Long Plain First Nation-owned Wyndham Garden Airport in Manitoba.
Finally, earlier this year Babcock Canada was also delighted to partner with Mighty Raven Technologies Inc. to develop a custom Quality Assurance (QA) management tool designed to support Babcock’s marine operations. This tool allows Babcock to more efficiently identify QA evidence required during vessel maintenance activities, track supporting evidence, and manage the review and approval processes. Mighty Raven Technology creates highly customized software solutions in the areas of GIS, logistics, and QA, used in the defence, aerospace, energy, and government sectors.
How you can celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day:
In Victoria: National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations | Royal Roads University
In Winnipeg: National Indigenous People’s Day » WAG
In Ottawa: _Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival – Summer Solstice Festivals
In Halifax: National Indigenous History Month | Halifax
