Indigenous engagement

Creating lasting relationships around a common vision for progress.

Many of Imperial’s operations and development opportunities are located near Indigenous communities or on traditional lands. Imperial supports communities in areas where we explore, develop and operate, and we strive to establish meaningful relationships built on mutual trust, respect and shared prosperity. Our goal is to collaborate with Indigenous communities on a common vision for progress, sustainable economic development and environmental stewardship.

Guiding principles

Reconciliation is the responsibility of all Canadians, including businesses. Imperial is committed to positive and progressive Indigenous relations through our guiding principles for Indigenous relations.

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Consultation

We keep the lines of communication open with knowledge holders, leaders and community members early in development planning, throughout operations and as we progress to closure.

We aim to learn from Indigenous people, so we can reclaim or return land, minimize and mitigate and honour the cultural heritage of the lands. Throughout all of our communication we strive to respect cultural practices and strengthen our knowledge of Indigenous heritage, sharing learnings with employees and other stakeholders.

A growing partnership

Learn more about a recent visit with our Indigenous reclamation planning group at Muskeg Lake, on our Kearl oil sands operation lease.
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Workforce development

We don’t just want Indigenous people to come. We want Indigenous people to stay and grow. We need many perspectives to succeed. We need Indigenous people in our workforce and in numbers that represent the local population. This means we develop and support education in Indigenous communities. We actively recruit from Indigenous communities and provide internships and training. We also work to remove any barriers that might get in the way. We honour diverse backgrounds so we can be a place where people can bring their full selves.

Indigenous internship and scholarship programs

Internship programs are a great way for students to learn more about our industry and company while completing their education.
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Business development

We want the Indigenous communities to benefit economically from what we’re doing on their traditional land. Indigenous suppliers provide us with many goods and services that are competitive and meet our high project standards.

We provide information and training to Indigenous suppliers to help these companies grow and learn. When local companies are competitive, we all win.

🏆 Imperial was recognized by the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion for our benefits-focused approach to Indigenous business performance in the Athabasca region, as part of their 2020 Awards of Success. Learn more.

$2.6 billion

invested with Indigenous businesses over the last 10 years

Community relations and community investment

Being in a relationship means being in the community together - not just when we need something. It means being there for our neighbours. It means we keep talking and working together, even when the conversations are difficult.

We actively participate to Indigenous community events and we learn about Indigenous history, ceremonies and traditions. We also develop or fund programs that help Indigenous communities thrive.

Here are some of the programs we support:

Indspire Building Brighter Futures: Bursaries, Scholarships and Awards program

Imperial has provided more than $1 million to First Nation, Inuit and Métis post-secondary students through the Indspire Building Brighter Futures Bursaries, Scholarships and Awards program since 2007. Read more

Coady Institute’s Indigenous Women in Community Leadership Program

We are a founding sponsor of this internationally recognized program, the only one of its kind in Canada.

We are proud to have supported this program since 2010, investing about $3 million since that time.

ACTUA – STEM outreach for Indigenous youth

Indigenous youth are the fastest-growing population in Canada, yet they are sharply under-represented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and careers. This program, developed by Actua, aims to increase the number of Indigenous youth in STEM education and careers.

 Read more

Bow Valley College Elders Program

Bow Valley College’s Iniikokaan Indigenous Centre offers the services of three cultural resource elders who act as academic guides and spiritual advisors for Indigenous students.

 Read more

Mount Royal University’s Medicine Trail Program

The Medicine Trail Program provides cultural support to staff and students of the Iniskim Centre and throughout Mount Royal University Campus.

Science Education Employment Development Scholarships program (SEEDS)

SEEDS is a partnership between Imperial and the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory in Ontario, which provides scholarships for Six Nations students in pursuit of post-secondary education.

Indspire Building Brighter Futures: Bursaries, Scholarships and Awards program

Imperial has provided more than $1 million to First Nation, Inuit and Métis post-secondary students through the Indspire Building Brighter Futures Bursaries, Scholarships and Awards program since 2007. Read more

Coady Institute’s Indigenous Women in Community Leadership Program

We are a founding sponsor of this internationally recognized program, the only one of its kind in Canada.

We are proud to have supported this program since 2010, investing about $3 million since that time.

ACTUA – STEM outreach for Indigenous youth

Indigenous youth are the fastest-growing population in Canada, yet they are sharply under-represented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and careers. This program, developed by Actua, aims to increase the number of Indigenous youth in STEM education and careers.

 Read more

Bow Valley College Elders Program

Bow Valley College’s Iniikokaan Indigenous Centre offers the services of three cultural resource elders who act as academic guides and spiritual advisors for Indigenous students.

 Read more

Mount Royal University’s Medicine Trail Program

The Medicine Trail Program provides cultural support to staff and students of the Iniskim Centre and throughout Mount Royal University Campus.

Science Education Employment Development Scholarships program (SEEDS)

SEEDS is a partnership between Imperial and the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory in Ontario, which provides scholarships for Six Nations students in pursuit of post-secondary education.

Sustainability report

Our Sustainability Report describes our environmental, social and governance performance.
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Certifications and memberships

Stories

272,000 hours of STEM time with Indigenous youth

Together we built a lake and are growing our partnership

Finding common ground

Sahtu search and rescue supported through Norman Wells 2018 grant

Building Brighter Futures with Indspire

Gateway to the Rocky Mountains now includes an Esso

Jaret Cardinal got interested in basketball, and it’s changing lives