Employment initiatives recognized

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A Syncrude employee's efforts in promoting Aboriginal employment in the province was officially recognized during an annual award ceremony in this city recently.

James Carbery is Syncrude's senior adviser for Aboriginal development in Fort McMurray. His work with Aboriginal leaders and communities in the area was recognized by the Alberta chapter of the Interprovincial Association on Native Employment.

Carbery has acted as a facilitator and liaison between Native leaders and the company, said D'Arcy Levesque, Syncrude manager of public affairs.

The company is Canada's largest private employer of Natives, and has a business development program for Aboriginal entrepreneurs which has helped 20 Native-operated business launch themselves into the world of commerce.

IANE also recognized corporate efforts in promoting Aboriginal employment in Alberta.

The company award went to the Calgary-based NOVA Corp.

The natural gas pipeline company offers four programs to Aboriginals. They include reserving contracts for Native businesses, an employment program designed to increase the number of Aboriginal employees at NOVA, to reflect the percentage of Natives in Alberta, a scholarship program to encourage students to pursue post-secondary education in the oil and gas industries, and a Native education program to encourage students to finish high school and make a career plan.

More good news

Calgary Aboriginal Urban Affairs Committee members also heard more good news from the chairman of the Calgary Urban Aboriginal Health Working Group (CUAHWG). Courchene said the Calgary Health Services recently agreed to several CUAHWG recommendations.

First, CHE adopted the principle of employment equality. Secondly, they agreed to advocate for Aboriginal representation to regional health decision-making bodies and open a place for an Aboriginal person on the CHS board. Thirdly, CHS supported in principle a minimum of 4 per cent of CHE's annual budget, which totals $41.4 million in 1994, be spent on Aboriginal health.

"The (CHS) board is extremely supportive of insuring Aboriginals have a healthy status is equitable with rest of the population," says Dr. Paul Hasselback, CHS's deputy medical Officer and a CUAHWG committee members.

Calgary's Aboriginal population is estimated to make up at least 4 per cent of the city's 700,000 population.

Ideally, Courchene therefore wanted 17 people or 4 per cent of CHS's 556 staff to be Aboriginal.

But Dr. Hasselback says a definite target cannot be set right now because of the present health care cutbacks. But he added, "There is a recognition by the administration that we are substantially lower in the Aboriginal (staff) area."

CHSA also said it will need to find out how exactly how much it is spending on Aboriginal health before it can meet future spending targets.