NOVA recognizes contributions of contractors

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In Alberta there are very few communities not affected by NOVA Gas Transmission lines. Northeastern Alberta is no exception.

For more than 25 years, NOVA has been working with Aboriginal communities and business, and to commemorate this milestone the transmission company presented paintings to three Aboriginal contractors in the Lac La Biche area.

Archie Gladue, Ken McDonald and Eugene Rizzoli were each presented with a print entitled Autumn Colors at the Falls, a landscape by Aboriginal artist Al Demerais, who is also a long time NOVA employee.

The partnerships with Aboriginal workers and Aboriginal communities have been very beneficial, said Les Heins, Aboriginal liaison/contract administrator with TransCanada Pipelines, NOVA's parent company. He said the partnership brings extra money into Aboriginal communities through increased employment opportunities.

The presentation of the prints was to recognize the contributions made by the Aboriginal contracters and to say 'thank you,' said Heins.

NOVA encourages contractors to hire Aboriginal people, and some primary contractors working close to Native communities have up to 40 per cent Native employment.

According to NOVA statistics, since 1976 more than 870 NOVA contracts have been awarded to more than 130 various Aboriginal contractors or Aboriginal joint ventures. The total value of these contracts has exceeded $110 million.

NOVA currently employs 68 Aboriginal people out of a workforce of 3,400. Heins said NOVA is an industry leader in Aboriginal employment and is committed to doing more to attract Aboriginal people to its workforce.