Natives benefiting from McMurray oil sands

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Canada's Native people have always successfully adapted to the changing times, whether it was taming wild horses or using flintlock rifles instead of bow and arrows.

Changes have ranged from subsistence hunting and fishing to farming to the current job and business economics.

Today in the city of Fort McMurray many Native people enjoy high-paying jobs in the oil sands' industry of the area. Many more are training or upgrading their education to become employees of Syncrude Canada Ltd. or Suncor Inc.

This time Native people are taking advantage of change.

On June 18, 1988 Syncrude agreed to provide employment and business opportunities to Natives in five surrounding Cree and Chipewyan bands and six Metis locals from Fort Chipewyan, Anzac, Janvier, Fort MacKay and Fort McMurray.

The participation would be guided by the Athabasca Native Development Corporation, which is funded by the federal and Alberta governments.

The employment and training programs are proving successful to aboriginal people, who take the initiative, according to corporation president Alvena Strasbourg.

"Our mandate is employment, training and education,," she explained.

Many Native people are taking the initiative to acquire the necessary skills needed in working in the oil sands' industry, either upgrading or training in a field related to the oil sands' industry, says Stasbourg. Other people need to be encouraged.

In both cases the corporation acts as a liaison, assisting individuals in getting the necessary training or education.

It will also help foster Native businesses once it has funding and a structure in place, Strasbourg said.

"I think we're doing a hell of job," she added, because many jobs she added, because many jobs have been found for aboriginal people and many more are being trained through Keyano College and apprenticeships. Treining raanges from heavy duty equipment operation, geology, welding, computer programming to secretarial positions.

A list is also kept of people in the communities listing their abilities and skills. It's available to Syncrude and Suncor for job placements.

Many young people are still not taking advantage of the opportunities available to them, because they lack the education, Strasbourg said, blaming the problem on a shortage of high schools in the communities.

Once students hit the senior grades they must move to Fort McMurray to finish school which can be very "traumatic" Strasbourg said.

The move from a small community to a city setting can be lonely or foster the abuse of alcohol or drugs, she explained. As a result grades are affected and many students drop out.

Nurturing and encouragement must be offered in the backyards of those people, who can't adapt to the move, she said. Just recently the corporation met with the educators from Northland School Division to discuss why kids drop out and how to prevent it.

The corporation also has held workshops at schools in the surrounding communities, stressing how important an education is and what opportunities lie with the oil sands industry.

Both industries require applicants to have at least a Grade 12 education, Strasbourg said.

Aside from encouraging current students, the corporation also urges depots to finish their education.

"So many young people come in here and they have Grade 10 or 11. It wouldn't take them much to get Grade 12," she said.