June 17, 2025
Ian Anderson is an Advisor to Energy Alberta bringing his 44-years in the energy industry at the intersection of industry, governments, communities and Indigenous rights and reconciliation.
Your approach to Indigenous involvement on the Trans Mountain Expansion Project is widely recognized as the blueprint going forward for major infrastructure projects in Canada today. Can you share some of that approach that made it successful?
The level of Indigenous participation in the Trans Mountain Expansion Project was unprecedented, creating legacies for Western Canadian Indigenous communities that hadn’t been done before. At the highest level, our approach was one of inclusion with a focus on capacity building and maximizing economic participation, which, we achieved through employment and training programs, procurement opportunities and partnerships at every step of the process. Working collaboratively with the Nations, we also gained important and invaluable knowledge – about the land, water and air – that was incorporated into the Project and made it stronger. That cannot be overstated. And what really enabled our approach, was the foundation of deep and meaningful relationships we had built with each and every Nation. I personally knew every Chief along the pipeline from Edmonton to Burnaby and am honoured to still call many of them my friends today. Through those relationships, I understood that each community and its needs were unique and so we entered every conversation with open ears and a blank piece of paper. We had no targets when it came to Indigenous employment or contract opportunities but instead worked to maximize involvement and that approach delivered better results than any of us could have predicted.
What can we learn with respect to Indigenous participation in major projects from the Trans Mountain experience?
It is important to remember it was 2010 when we began thinking about how to involve Indigenous communities in the Expansion Project – so 15 years ago now – and a lot has advanced over the last decade both in terms of how industry and governments view Indigenous participation and in the readiness of Nations to be involved in major projects. The idea of reconciliation through meaningful participation and economic involvement wasn’t really the goal at that time, but it was something that happened through our Project as a result of our approach and our actions – and it changed the way we think about the role of Indigenous Nations and Communities in project development. Today, it is generally accepted, particularly in Western Canada, that the path to success means solving for economic participation in parallel with the advancement of a project – not as an afterthought or a by-product of engagement.
You are an advisor with the Peace River Nuclear Power Project, how is this Project approaching Indigenous engagement and what is unique or different about engaging on a nuclear energy project to a pipeline?
The Peace River Nuclear Power Project presents an important generational opportunity for all Albertans and, potentially, Western Canadians. The company is committed to building meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships with Indigenous Nations and Communities and is working to build those relationships that are really the foundation for this Project and ultimately an operation that could be around for 80+ years. Similarly to engaging on a pipeline project, it is important to really spend the time at the outset to understand each community and their needs – their hopes and dreams for their future generations – and find the common ground. There is real potential here for the Nations and Communities to be involved in meaningful capacity building now and for many years to come, which is much needed in our Northern communities here in Alberta and across the country.
June is Indigenous History Month and June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day, a time to recognize and celebrate the culture, language and traditions of the First Nations, Inuit and Metis Communities. How are you personally approaching this month?
For me, Indigenous History Month is a time to learn and connect. I think being curious about the past and making an effort to ask questions and seek out different opinions and experiences can only help me, and all of us move forward towards reconciliation. I will be speaking at a few public events this month about today’s intersection of Indigenous rights and reconciliation with industry, governments and major projects and I plan to reach out to some of my friends to say hello and extend good wishes.
Learn More about Indigenous Peoples Day and Indigenous History Month through these links: