Blair says Natives above average workers

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CALGARY - Native people are above average workers and should be actively encouraged to enter the workforce as well as start their own businesses, says a Calgary oil company president.

Bob Blair, president of Nova, an Alberta Corporation, was the guest speaker during the opening day of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce annual Native Awareness Week held September 22 to 26.

Speaking to about 100 guests at the Palliser Hotel Monday, Blair said he wanted to encourage other company presidents in Alberta to employ Native workers.

"Those old myths about Native people have high instances about absenteeism should be blasted out of the water," said Blair. "The Native people employed at Nova have shown they have a better than average job performance."

Nova has enjoyed a high profile in the business world by actively encouraging and employing Native people in a wide cross-section of jobs within the corporation. However, Blair pointed out that this wasn't always the case and Nova's policy only evolved 15 years ago, thanks to several Native leaders.

"I particularly want to mention Harold Cardinal, Jim Sinclair, Saul Sanders and George Manual," said Blair. "They and others pointed out that the total absence of Native people from the business world was not only detrimental to business but just not right."

Nova gradually began to employ Native people and provide on-the-job training. Blair's philosophy is that the only way to the top is through education and on-the-job experience.

Blair pointed out that this year's Native Awareness Week motto is "share every-thing, waste nothing." "That's not a bad motto" he said. "But we white folks didn't think that one up. We have you Native people to thank for that," he laughed.

Despite the current downturn in the oil industry, Blair added that Nova will continue to hire Native people.

"Nova has invested $6 million in Alberta in both Calgary and Edmonton and in terms of employment, Nova has gone from 700 employees in 1971 to 7,000 in 1985."

Blair added that apart from the fact that Native people are good employees, there are other benefits attached when employing someone from the Native community.

"The Native population is an important part of our society," he smiled. "And they are the only people who don't ask for hardship pay to work in the Arctic."

The Calgary Chamber of Commerce Native Awareness Week ran from September 22 to 26 and many events highlighting the entrepreneur skills of Native people were highlighted at several locations in the city.