WEBVTT 00:00:00.170 --> 00:00:03.069 Welcome to Drumbeats, the must -listen -to podcast 00:00:03.069 --> 00:00:05.710 which explains why Indigenous partnerships are 00:00:05.710 --> 00:00:08.710 the key to securing successful outcomes in natural 00:00:08.710 --> 00:00:11.070 resource and infrastructure investment in Canada. 00:00:12.710 --> 00:00:15.570 I'm Mark McNacken, my co -host Robert Brantanar, 00:00:15.630 --> 00:00:18.649 joined today by Shanna Martineau. She is the 00:00:18.649 --> 00:00:21.149 CEO of the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation, 00:00:21.629 --> 00:00:25.410 AIOC, bringing over 30 years of experience in 00:00:25.410 --> 00:00:28.649 banking and investing. She's played a key role 00:00:28.649 --> 00:00:31.429 in advancing Indigenous involvement in Alberta's 00:00:31.429 --> 00:00:34.469 major sectors, from natural resources and agriculture 00:00:34.469 --> 00:00:38.409 to tech and healthcare. Under her leadership, 00:00:38.689 --> 00:00:42.090 AIOC has been nationally recognized for its work 00:00:42.090 --> 00:00:47.149 in economic reconciliation and inclusion. Shanna 00:00:47.149 --> 00:00:49.310 Martineau, thanks very much for joining us on 00:00:49.310 --> 00:00:52.530 Drumbeats. Great to see you again. Good to see 00:00:52.530 --> 00:00:56.149 you, Rob. Thank you so much for having me. Yes, 00:00:56.149 --> 00:01:00.549 welcome. Shanna, who's Chief Executive Officer 00:01:00.549 --> 00:01:03.509 of the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation. 00:01:04.709 --> 00:01:06.730 Good morning, Mark. Good to see you as well. 00:01:06.909 --> 00:01:10.189 Glad to be with you this morning. Shanna, I have 00:01:10.189 --> 00:01:12.609 to start out by thanking you for the great hospitality 00:01:12.609 --> 00:01:15.950 recently in Calgary there for the Stampede and 00:01:15.950 --> 00:01:21.090 AIOC through a fantastic party. We were so glad 00:01:21.090 --> 00:01:24.810 you could join us. We had close to 600 of our... 00:01:25.150 --> 00:01:28.069 our partners and friends and contacts and we 00:01:28.069 --> 00:01:30.069 were glad that you were an important guest in 00:01:30.069 --> 00:01:32.329 that group so it was great to have you and have 00:01:32.329 --> 00:01:35.689 you experienced stampede for the first time yeah 00:01:35.689 --> 00:01:39.090 that was literally my first rodeo uh and but 00:01:39.090 --> 00:01:42.969 i will be back and you'll never be the same uh 00:01:42.969 --> 00:01:46.609 the whole week was was great and i can see the 00:01:46.609 --> 00:01:50.409 attraction such a great week to catch people 00:01:52.219 --> 00:01:56.019 Chiefs and business people and other government 00:01:56.019 --> 00:01:59.379 leaders are particularly pleased to see Ontario 00:01:59.379 --> 00:02:03.000 government out in full force and at your party 00:02:03.000 --> 00:02:05.420 as well, enjoying the hospitality and building 00:02:05.420 --> 00:02:10.060 closer ties with Albertans. Absolutely. I think, 00:02:10.080 --> 00:02:12.740 you know, one of the benefits, and I wonder if 00:02:12.740 --> 00:02:15.479 we'll look back at this time and thank the Trump 00:02:15.479 --> 00:02:18.800 administration. for what they've done to bring 00:02:18.800 --> 00:02:22.300 Canadians together. I'm so thrilled to see Canadians 00:02:22.300 --> 00:02:25.580 from coast to coast rallying together around 00:02:25.580 --> 00:02:29.460 our economic opportunity, our nationhood, and 00:02:29.460 --> 00:02:32.659 our growth opportunities together. And so I think 00:02:32.659 --> 00:02:34.879 Stampede really reflected that, and you're seeing 00:02:34.879 --> 00:02:39.080 a lot of cross -country collaboration, inspiration 00:02:39.080 --> 00:02:41.580 in a way that we haven't for a long time. So 00:02:41.580 --> 00:02:45.180 I think there's brighter times ahead. Yes, I 00:02:45.180 --> 00:02:48.280 think so as well. The Stampede is actually the 00:02:48.280 --> 00:02:52.120 world's largest rodeo. It is. Right. So it's 00:02:52.120 --> 00:02:53.900 something they haven't figured out down South 00:02:53.900 --> 00:02:57.039 clearly because they'd be, you know, trying to 00:02:57.039 --> 00:02:59.120 take that one over, but it is the world's largest 00:02:59.120 --> 00:03:02.300 rodeo, which is great. And it's always been a 00:03:02.300 --> 00:03:04.539 destination. If you're out West, you know, the 00:03:04.539 --> 00:03:10.379 Stampede, you know, is the iconic event on the 00:03:10.379 --> 00:03:13.740 calendar. So that's great that everybody came 00:03:13.740 --> 00:03:15.419 out to it this year. And I think you're right. 00:03:15.439 --> 00:03:18.080 It is. something that we'll look back at. This 00:03:18.080 --> 00:03:20.919 is a defining period for Canada, our growth to 00:03:20.919 --> 00:03:23.759 be the country for everyone that we all want 00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:28.319 it to be. So I think, you know, we'll see where 00:03:28.319 --> 00:03:30.379 that takes us. And certainly there's a lot going 00:03:30.379 --> 00:03:33.840 on at the moment with what Prime Minister Carney 00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:37.280 is trying to achieve, the feedback, all the projects. 00:03:37.340 --> 00:03:40.979 Here we are in early, early July. And just before 00:03:40.979 --> 00:03:44.840 we get going in depth. Can you tell our listeners 00:03:44.840 --> 00:03:47.819 and for those who are watching a little bit about 00:03:47.819 --> 00:03:52.020 the painting in the background? Oh, sure. Thanks 00:03:52.020 --> 00:03:56.300 for asking. So the painting behind me is completed 00:03:56.300 --> 00:03:59.159 by an artist out of Saskatchewan, Greg Hardy. 00:03:59.319 --> 00:04:01.360 He's getting no royalties for this, by the way. 00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:04.680 He's someone that I have long admired and he 00:04:04.680 --> 00:04:08.129 paints. in Lac La Ronge in northern Saskatchewan 00:04:08.129 --> 00:04:12.069 and as you know I'm from I'm Frog Lake First 00:04:12.069 --> 00:04:15.030 Nations from that Cold Lake region in northeastern 00:04:15.030 --> 00:04:19.069 Alberta and Lac La Ronge isn't so far from my 00:04:19.069 --> 00:04:21.889 homeland and so this is like a little slice of 00:04:21.889 --> 00:04:24.529 home for me and it just reminds me of that whole 00:04:24.529 --> 00:04:27.410 region and nature and so it's super important. 00:04:27.569 --> 00:04:30.110 I'm happy that I get to share it with you via 00:04:30.110 --> 00:04:33.129 this podcast. Great. It's absolutely beautiful. 00:04:33.269 --> 00:04:35.329 Shanna, tell us a little bit about your upbringing 00:04:35.329 --> 00:04:40.370 and also Frog Lake First Nation. Sure. So Frog 00:04:40.370 --> 00:04:43.110 Lake First Nation is northeastern Alberta, as 00:04:43.110 --> 00:04:46.050 I mentioned, sort of that Cold Lake area. And 00:04:46.050 --> 00:04:49.290 so most famous maybe for an airbase in the country. 00:04:49.709 --> 00:04:52.170 My parents left Frog Lake. They were they were 00:04:52.170 --> 00:04:55.089 teen parents. It was a bit of a scandal. You 00:04:55.089 --> 00:04:57.790 know, I was born to a teen mom and an indigenous 00:04:57.790 --> 00:04:59.990 dad, which is, you know, in small town Alberta 00:04:59.990 --> 00:05:03.970 in those days was. something that caused a lot 00:05:03.970 --> 00:05:08.290 of stir. Small town Ontario too, too. Yes, absolutely. 00:05:08.769 --> 00:05:11.149 Sounds like we're a similar background. And so, 00:05:11.250 --> 00:05:16.149 you know, and at that period of time, there wasn't 00:05:16.149 --> 00:05:18.649 a lot of economic opportunity either. My parents 00:05:18.649 --> 00:05:21.230 moved to the city. They got married after I was 00:05:21.230 --> 00:05:25.670 born. So they were 18 and 20. Moved to the city 00:05:25.670 --> 00:05:29.829 three hours away, in three hours now. In those 00:05:29.829 --> 00:05:31.649 days, the roads were bad and cars were poor. 00:05:31.750 --> 00:05:33.790 And so they were a long ways from any support 00:05:33.790 --> 00:05:36.490 at all. When you think about young parents. And 00:05:36.490 --> 00:05:39.069 then they had my brother two years later. And 00:05:39.069 --> 00:05:41.529 so times were really, really tough for them. 00:05:41.610 --> 00:05:45.670 They persevered. It is amazing where we were 00:05:45.670 --> 00:05:49.689 able to come to. I really talk about them being, 00:05:49.730 --> 00:05:52.430 their resilience in particular, coming from... 00:05:52.860 --> 00:05:56.160 My grandparents both set and my parents, both 00:05:56.160 --> 00:06:00.180 my brother and I lead companies now. My mother 00:06:00.180 --> 00:06:03.740 has passed, but my father, my brother and I are 00:06:03.740 --> 00:06:08.360 all very aligned in business. really helping 00:06:08.360 --> 00:06:10.720 to advance our people. My dad is active with 00:06:10.720 --> 00:06:13.800 our nation still at 78 years old. I can barely 00:06:13.800 --> 00:06:16.439 keep up with him. People ask me how I keep my 00:06:16.439 --> 00:06:19.819 schedule and I wonder how he keeps his. But, 00:06:19.860 --> 00:06:23.600 you know, we're all very passionate about helping 00:06:23.600 --> 00:06:27.459 Indigenous people advance, thrive and grow with 00:06:27.459 --> 00:06:29.360 the economic opportunities that we have today. 00:06:30.699 --> 00:06:33.579 Sounds like it's in the genes. Now, where did 00:06:33.579 --> 00:06:35.279 you go to school and how did you end up? What 00:06:35.279 --> 00:06:40.689 took you to? AIOC where you are today? You know, 00:06:40.730 --> 00:06:43.550 I went to the U of A. So I grew up in Edmonton. 00:06:44.189 --> 00:06:46.509 I went to the U of A. I was the first person 00:06:46.509 --> 00:06:48.730 in our extended family to graduate from university. 00:06:48.930 --> 00:06:51.670 And my dad's the second youngest of seven and 00:06:51.670 --> 00:06:54.310 my grandpa's one of 13. So if you think about 00:06:54.310 --> 00:06:57.930 that, that's a lot of folks. And so I never forgot 00:06:57.930 --> 00:07:02.399 the benefits that I had. But I was pretty determined 00:07:02.399 --> 00:07:04.620 not to be a teenage mom. My parents were pretty 00:07:04.620 --> 00:07:06.500 determined that I was not going to also be a 00:07:06.500 --> 00:07:08.579 teenage mother because those cycles tend to repeat. 00:07:09.100 --> 00:07:12.220 And so I went to university. I got a degree. 00:07:12.819 --> 00:07:15.279 Jobs were pretty hard to come by in the early 00:07:15.279 --> 00:07:17.939 90s. We were in a pretty significant recession. 00:07:18.579 --> 00:07:20.939 But I managed to get a job with TD Bank Financial 00:07:20.939 --> 00:07:24.860 Group. And I actually considered law, Rob, so 00:07:24.860 --> 00:07:27.199 similar past you. But it was tough to get to 00:07:27.199 --> 00:07:31.220 keep a job in those days. I had one in my hand 00:07:31.220 --> 00:07:32.920 and I couldn't afford to be a student forever. 00:07:33.540 --> 00:07:35.699 And so I just took it and I thought, well, you 00:07:35.699 --> 00:07:38.660 can never go wrong with getting financial education 00:07:38.660 --> 00:07:41.339 through banking. And, you know, as luck would 00:07:41.339 --> 00:07:44.879 have it, they invested in me and I had a really 00:07:44.879 --> 00:07:47.139 long career with them, more than 12 years and 00:07:47.139 --> 00:07:51.319 moved through a lot of positions. So I took to 00:07:51.319 --> 00:07:53.639 finance, really enjoyed it and then have ended 00:07:53.639 --> 00:07:55.939 up in finance for my whole career in various 00:07:55.939 --> 00:07:59.149 forms. I spent 14 years with Brenton Young, a 00:07:59.149 --> 00:08:02.269 big four chartered accounting firm as well. So 00:08:02.269 --> 00:08:05.550 learned a lot there, both through public sector 00:08:05.550 --> 00:08:08.149 consulting and accounting tax with large corporate 00:08:08.149 --> 00:08:12.230 partners. So that has all married well in this 00:08:12.230 --> 00:08:15.610 role. When you think about it, I led some functions 00:08:15.610 --> 00:08:19.149 for Canadian Western Bank post that time. So 00:08:19.149 --> 00:08:21.829 when I looked at it at the time, my career felt 00:08:21.829 --> 00:08:24.949 a little bit disparate. three different tranches 00:08:24.949 --> 00:08:29.350 and very different types of roles. But now as 00:08:29.350 --> 00:08:32.210 a crown CEO and doing this work with large scale 00:08:32.210 --> 00:08:34.950 and business partnerships, I feel like I understand 00:08:34.950 --> 00:08:38.169 the large corporate boardroom part. I understand 00:08:38.169 --> 00:08:41.690 the corporate commercial banking parts. I understand 00:08:41.690 --> 00:08:43.710 the nuts and bolts of banking all the way from 00:08:43.710 --> 00:08:46.490 the ground up. So it's been a really interesting 00:08:46.490 --> 00:08:49.750 journey for me. And I'm really grateful for that. 00:08:49.789 --> 00:08:51.889 What I thought was a disparate bank background 00:08:51.889 --> 00:08:55.440 coming into this. Even my work leading the public 00:08:55.440 --> 00:08:57.740 sector practice in Alberta with Ernst & Young, 00:08:57.960 --> 00:09:00.379 you know, it's interesting now that I'm a crown 00:09:00.379 --> 00:09:03.700 CEO, how helpful that is in helping to navigate 00:09:03.700 --> 00:09:05.980 the different government processes and those 00:09:05.980 --> 00:09:09.940 sorts of things. So my advice to people starting 00:09:09.940 --> 00:09:12.259 out their career or midway is have patience. 00:09:12.320 --> 00:09:14.460 Things come together in ways you couldn't even 00:09:14.460 --> 00:09:17.519 have imagined. My last two or three jobs, I didn't 00:09:17.519 --> 00:09:19.679 even know they existed or maybe they didn't exist 00:09:19.679 --> 00:09:22.480 before I was in them. And so it's... it's interesting 00:09:22.480 --> 00:09:26.039 how life turns out sometimes. I think just in 00:09:26.039 --> 00:09:28.779 terms of background for some of our listeners, 00:09:29.000 --> 00:09:31.779 you know, in the nineties, that was the last 00:09:31.779 --> 00:09:35.120 great debate we had in the country about our 00:09:35.120 --> 00:09:38.179 relationship with the U S because that was, you 00:09:38.179 --> 00:09:40.980 know, we were going free trade and the country 00:09:40.980 --> 00:09:45.299 was rather split. Brian Mulroney, you know, convinced 00:09:45.299 --> 00:09:49.299 the majority of Canadians. that, you know, free 00:09:49.299 --> 00:09:52.639 trade with the U .S., which preceded NAFTA, was 00:09:52.639 --> 00:09:55.440 the way to go. But as a result of that, there 00:09:55.440 --> 00:09:59.340 was a very deep recession as firms realigned 00:09:59.340 --> 00:10:01.679 north -south in the protected Canadian economy 00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:04.620 that had been protected really since Confederation 00:10:04.620 --> 00:10:08.399 was opened up to free trade with the U .S. and 00:10:08.399 --> 00:10:10.799 then, you know, the impact of globalization. 00:10:10.899 --> 00:10:13.460 So I think it's kind of interesting that we're 00:10:13.460 --> 00:10:16.940 back after 35 years re -looking at that relationship. 00:10:17.669 --> 00:10:19.950 And it was a lot of pain to go through at the 00:10:19.950 --> 00:10:22.370 time. And unfortunately, there is going to be 00:10:22.370 --> 00:10:25.889 pain again. But as we've talked about, it's going 00:10:25.889 --> 00:10:28.769 to be an opportunity for Canada to reach its 00:10:28.769 --> 00:10:33.230 full potential. One other point, just for Crown 00:10:33.230 --> 00:10:36.429 CEO, could you describe to some of our listeners 00:10:36.429 --> 00:10:38.629 over here in the UK who are quite familiar with 00:10:38.629 --> 00:10:41.309 the Crown, but probably don't understand it necessarily 00:10:41.309 --> 00:10:43.750 in the Canadian context, what exactly that means? 00:10:44.789 --> 00:10:47.860 Sure. Thank you for that question, Mark. So as 00:10:47.860 --> 00:10:51.259 a Crown CEO, Alberta Indigenous Opportunities 00:10:51.259 --> 00:10:54.179 Corporation is a wholly owned entity by the Alberta 00:10:54.179 --> 00:10:56.659 government. The Alberta government is a subsidiary 00:10:56.659 --> 00:10:59.759 of the Canadian government, a province. And so 00:10:59.759 --> 00:11:02.519 we are a provincial Crown corporation. We roll 00:11:02.519 --> 00:11:04.580 up under the Ministry of Indigenous Relations, 00:11:04.759 --> 00:11:08.139 but we operate at arm's length from the Crown. 00:11:08.320 --> 00:11:11.659 So one of the very important aspects of this 00:11:11.659 --> 00:11:14.539 is the separation of the economic and political. 00:11:15.340 --> 00:11:18.440 influences. And so we report to an independent 00:11:18.440 --> 00:11:21.440 board of directors who then reports into the 00:11:21.440 --> 00:11:24.480 minister. So it's an interesting balancing act. 00:11:24.559 --> 00:11:27.600 I think it's important that we all, it doesn't 00:11:27.600 --> 00:11:30.120 matter which organization you're in, you are 00:11:30.120 --> 00:11:33.659 still responsible to your shareholder or shareholders, 00:11:33.940 --> 00:11:36.279 plural, whichever the case is for you. So we 00:11:36.279 --> 00:11:38.100 are still responsible to the Alberta government 00:11:38.100 --> 00:11:41.659 to deliver against our mandate. But removing 00:11:41.659 --> 00:11:46.889 that day -to -day political influence or oversight 00:11:46.889 --> 00:11:50.230 is helpful to keep us focused on economic outcomes. 00:11:50.529 --> 00:11:54.870 I always talk about you don't want politicians, 00:11:55.110 --> 00:11:58.870 well -intentioned as they are, to get involved 00:11:58.870 --> 00:12:01.509 in the nuts and bolts of large corporate finance 00:12:01.509 --> 00:12:05.690 and deal terms. We are focused on achieving the 00:12:05.690 --> 00:12:08.049 best possible outcomes through our transactions 00:12:08.049 --> 00:12:11.549 to support Indigenous peoples and the businesses 00:12:11.549 --> 00:12:13.590 involved. You know, those transactions need to 00:12:13.590 --> 00:12:17.750 work for all. through the process so maybe shanna 00:12:17.750 --> 00:12:21.750 tell us a little bit more about the alberta indigenous 00:12:21.750 --> 00:12:24.389 opportunities corporation how long has it been 00:12:24.389 --> 00:12:29.370 around how do you operate what is your purpose 00:12:29.370 --> 00:12:32.730 for being and in particular for our international 00:12:32.730 --> 00:12:37.110 viewers and listeners and maybe some of them 00:12:37.110 --> 00:12:39.190 don't understand some of the changes that have 00:12:39.190 --> 00:12:43.139 happened in Canada over the last 10 years that 00:12:43.139 --> 00:12:46.799 would help and facilitate these projects involving 00:12:46.799 --> 00:12:52.220 Indigenous nations. I might be able to go on 00:12:52.220 --> 00:12:53.960 with this at length, so we'll try to distill 00:12:53.960 --> 00:12:58.779 it down to a bit of a simple overview. Canadians 00:12:58.779 --> 00:13:01.200 went through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission 00:13:01.200 --> 00:13:05.779 to uncover and come to terms with really our 00:13:05.779 --> 00:13:09.610 legacy of colonial history. what Indigenous people 00:13:09.610 --> 00:13:13.029 went through in our country and what led to the 00:13:13.029 --> 00:13:16.269 outcomes that we've had today. So Canada is not 00:13:16.269 --> 00:13:20.769 unique in their Indigenous people having, if 00:13:20.769 --> 00:13:22.750 I called them suboptimal, that would be understating 00:13:22.750 --> 00:13:26.289 it, outcomes on almost every social measure across 00:13:26.289 --> 00:13:30.210 our economic and societal spectrum. So we'll 00:13:30.210 --> 00:13:33.750 leave it at that. The view was, let's be honest 00:13:33.750 --> 00:13:37.210 with ourselves about how we got here. and what 00:13:37.210 --> 00:13:39.490 the experience has been for Indigenous people. 00:13:41.049 --> 00:13:44.809 Many recommendations came out of that Truth and 00:13:44.809 --> 00:13:47.669 Reconciliation Commission led by Senator Murray 00:13:47.669 --> 00:13:51.529 Sinclair. The result, Truth and Reconciliation 00:13:51.529 --> 00:13:55.470 No. 92, was a call on corporate Canada to advance 00:13:55.470 --> 00:13:58.669 economic opportunity for Indigenous peoples. 00:13:58.889 --> 00:14:01.090 And so the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation 00:14:01.799 --> 00:14:04.500 was created by the Alberta government in response 00:14:04.500 --> 00:14:09.720 to TRC number 92. And it's been an interesting 00:14:09.720 --> 00:14:12.600 evolution. So that was five years ago in 2019. 00:14:13.720 --> 00:14:17.580 Since then, we've helped 43 First Nations and 00:14:17.580 --> 00:14:23.960 Métis communities invest over $1 .5 billion through 00:14:23.960 --> 00:14:29.559 $750 million in loan guarantees. And so a loan 00:14:29.559 --> 00:14:32.700 guarantee... Basically, what happens there is 00:14:32.700 --> 00:14:35.960 you act like a cosigner on a loan. So if someone 00:14:35.960 --> 00:14:38.480 is trying to buy a home or a car, often your 00:14:38.480 --> 00:14:42.340 younger folk in your life, the bank, wants to 00:14:42.340 --> 00:14:45.019 verify their income, that they can repay the 00:14:45.019 --> 00:14:47.220 debt. They also want to know that they have collateral. 00:14:47.700 --> 00:14:50.840 If their credit isn't at a standard that they 00:14:50.840 --> 00:14:53.980 are able to borrow, they'll ask for a cosigner 00:14:53.980 --> 00:14:58.419 often to help support that. in essence, a loan 00:14:58.419 --> 00:15:00.720 guarantee acts as that co -signature on a loan. 00:15:00.820 --> 00:15:02.659 I know that's a very simple example, but if you 00:15:02.659 --> 00:15:05.500 just imagine that on a very large scale, we deal 00:15:05.500 --> 00:15:08.200 with large infrastructure projects, so pipelines, 00:15:08.399 --> 00:15:11.720 power lines, power plants, those kinds of things, 00:15:11.840 --> 00:15:14.700 but we enable Indigenous investment. And then 00:15:14.700 --> 00:15:18.259 in return, part of the reconciliation is not 00:15:18.259 --> 00:15:21.080 only access to large -scale capital that Indigenous 00:15:21.080 --> 00:15:23.659 nations and communities wouldn't be able to access, 00:15:23.759 --> 00:15:27.820 but also They get that capital at a much lower 00:15:27.820 --> 00:15:30.000 rate than they would be able to obtain on their 00:15:30.000 --> 00:15:33.360 own. And so that rate, that delta, is much closer 00:15:33.360 --> 00:15:36.279 to a government of Alberta rate. And there is 00:15:36.279 --> 00:15:39.059 the reconciliation as well. So they get that 00:15:39.059 --> 00:15:43.539 economic impact of their investment. And it is 00:15:43.539 --> 00:15:48.240 critical. Canadians have underinvested in our 00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:50.679 First Nations, in our Métis communities in Alberta. 00:15:50.820 --> 00:15:53.840 We have settlements which are defined areas where 00:15:53.840 --> 00:15:58.059 the Métis live. We have underinvested in infrastructure, 00:15:58.320 --> 00:16:01.659 in education, in services to those regions. And 00:16:01.659 --> 00:16:05.639 so it is critical that they have access to economic 00:16:05.639 --> 00:16:09.460 opportunities to be able to support their communities. 00:16:09.799 --> 00:16:12.220 And I'll just remind your listeners or share 00:16:12.220 --> 00:16:14.980 with your listeners that First Nations are responsible 00:16:14.980 --> 00:16:19.340 as a sovereign government to their people. So 00:16:19.340 --> 00:16:23.000 they must provide all of the services. When you 00:16:23.000 --> 00:16:25.919 think about child welfare and education, all 00:16:25.919 --> 00:16:28.259 of the services that you might think of another 00:16:28.259 --> 00:16:30.759 government providing, the First Nations governments 00:16:30.759 --> 00:16:34.639 provide for their people. And First Nations also, 00:16:34.779 --> 00:16:37.519 part of our tradition is to support our elders. 00:16:37.879 --> 00:16:41.120 And so when you think about utility, you know, 00:16:41.159 --> 00:16:44.139 my band, and it's not a large band, they spend 00:16:44.139 --> 00:16:47.259 over a million dollars just on the elders' utilities 00:16:47.259 --> 00:16:54.149 every year. And is AIOC... Providing other forms 00:16:54.149 --> 00:17:00.470 of support? Is it strictly guarantees of loans 00:17:00.470 --> 00:17:03.830 at this point? Is there advisory services or 00:17:03.830 --> 00:17:08.250 other products that you offer? And you talked 00:17:08.250 --> 00:17:11.950 about the importance of energy. I think recently 00:17:11.950 --> 00:17:15.349 you've expanded your mandate and you're looking 00:17:15.349 --> 00:17:17.789 at many other sectors as well. Thank you for 00:17:17.789 --> 00:17:22.029 the question, Rob. We also provide capacity grant 00:17:22.029 --> 00:17:24.990 funding. Indigenous nations, settlements and 00:17:24.990 --> 00:17:30.150 communities need advisors to help them assess 00:17:30.150 --> 00:17:34.849 and close and negotiate these transactions. So 00:17:34.849 --> 00:17:36.650 again, we talk about large scale infrastructure 00:17:36.650 --> 00:17:39.049 projects. These are not simple transactions. 00:17:39.549 --> 00:17:42.470 And so we provide capacity grant funding to help 00:17:42.470 --> 00:17:47.940 them hire financial advisors, legal advice. environmental 00:17:47.940 --> 00:17:51.519 advice, whatever they might need to be able to 00:17:51.519 --> 00:17:55.220 negotiate and close those transactions. We also 00:17:55.220 --> 00:17:58.619 join them at the table and we help provide all 00:17:58.619 --> 00:18:01.720 parties a path through. So there are nuances 00:18:01.720 --> 00:18:04.339 to having a loan guarantee, like having a third 00:18:04.339 --> 00:18:06.960 leg to the stool to support those transactions. 00:18:07.740 --> 00:18:11.599 Sometimes the two sides need a little bit of... 00:18:12.829 --> 00:18:15.730 support in even just speaking each other's languages, 00:18:15.849 --> 00:18:19.170 understanding what the other perspective is. 00:18:19.630 --> 00:18:22.509 AIOC has a strong team of engagement professionals. 00:18:22.650 --> 00:18:25.109 We have a strong team of capital markets investment 00:18:25.109 --> 00:18:28.589 professionals, and we really help the whole process 00:18:28.589 --> 00:18:32.990 come together with some creativity, some perseverance, 00:18:33.190 --> 00:18:36.450 and some fortitude. I think these are large, 00:18:36.450 --> 00:18:39.630 complex transactions and help everyone see the 00:18:39.630 --> 00:18:43.319 art of the possible. Do investors, corporate 00:18:43.319 --> 00:18:49.819 partners reach out to AIOC first? Or do the First 00:18:49.819 --> 00:18:52.920 Nations, as an example, come to you and say, 00:18:53.000 --> 00:18:56.819 we've been discussing this opportunity? How would 00:18:56.819 --> 00:19:00.240 a foreign investor, corporate, whatever it takes, 00:19:00.299 --> 00:19:05.599 right? All of the above. So we have done a lot 00:19:05.599 --> 00:19:08.240 of reach out as AIOC to both corporate partners 00:19:08.240 --> 00:19:11.680 and indigenous groups. And they will often both 00:19:11.680 --> 00:19:14.839 come to us. It depends on who's leading the idea, 00:19:14.980 --> 00:19:18.079 actually. So when we look at a transaction that 00:19:18.079 --> 00:19:21.119 we recently closed, Dutchess Solar, Cold Lake 00:19:21.119 --> 00:19:24.000 First Nation, led that transaction end -to -end. 00:19:24.039 --> 00:19:26.720 They reached out to us. They negotiated with 00:19:26.720 --> 00:19:29.880 the corporate partner, Elemental Energy. They 00:19:29.880 --> 00:19:32.359 were really on the front lines of that transaction. 00:19:32.740 --> 00:19:35.799 When we look at other transactions, often the 00:19:35.799 --> 00:19:39.660 corporate partner wants to make sure that they're 00:19:39.660 --> 00:19:42.079 thinking of the loan guarantee in a way that 00:19:42.079 --> 00:19:44.700 makes sense and the way that it will be successful 00:19:44.700 --> 00:19:48.079 before they approach their Indigenous partners. 00:19:48.420 --> 00:19:51.299 So the loan guarantee is somewhat of a new product 00:19:51.299 --> 00:19:56.000 in this region and in this type of investment. 00:19:56.259 --> 00:19:57.980 You know, when you think about Export Development 00:19:57.980 --> 00:20:00.180 Canada and so on, the loan guarantees are much 00:20:00.180 --> 00:20:04.819 smaller in nature. They tend to be. And so they 00:20:04.819 --> 00:20:08.289 will sometimes... Bring us information. We'll 00:20:08.289 --> 00:20:10.769 look at their financial models. We will give 00:20:10.769 --> 00:20:14.410 them advice on, you know, when to approach nations, 00:20:14.509 --> 00:20:16.990 who they might want to consider. We don't ever 00:20:16.990 --> 00:20:19.390 prescribe because, of course, it's very important 00:20:19.390 --> 00:20:23.089 that the partnership is between the nation settlements, 00:20:23.329 --> 00:20:25.869 you know, the Métis and the corporate partner. 00:20:26.029 --> 00:20:29.069 But we will support both sides in those negotiations 00:20:29.069 --> 00:20:33.009 and provide insight. And then we can help the 00:20:33.009 --> 00:20:35.230 process. Sometimes we will join those discussions. 00:20:35.950 --> 00:20:40.509 and help the conversations through. So all of 00:20:40.509 --> 00:20:42.990 the above, and it just depends, you know, is 00:20:42.990 --> 00:20:46.170 it starting with the financial model and noodling? 00:20:46.230 --> 00:20:48.390 Is there enough return and enough security for 00:20:48.390 --> 00:20:51.089 the loan guarantee? Or is it the nation saying, 00:20:51.289 --> 00:20:53.609 hey, this is the kind of business we'd like to 00:20:53.609 --> 00:20:57.890 do. How might that fit? And so we help the two 00:20:57.890 --> 00:21:01.809 sides come through to that. So maybe just in 00:21:01.809 --> 00:21:03.490 terms of the opportunities that are in front 00:21:03.490 --> 00:21:05.940 of the country at the moment. You know, Prime 00:21:05.940 --> 00:21:08.200 Minister Karnia said as part of their new mandate 00:21:08.200 --> 00:21:11.400 that they want to proceed with, you know, a number 00:21:11.400 --> 00:21:15.599 of critical projects, infrastructure and energy. 00:21:15.900 --> 00:21:19.079 What is your take at the moment in this very 00:21:19.079 --> 00:21:22.359 fluid moment? OK, so we know it might change. 00:21:22.500 --> 00:21:26.660 Yes. But it's not happening on Twitter. So that's 00:21:26.660 --> 00:21:28.920 kind of nice. We're not all waking up and find 00:21:28.920 --> 00:21:31.480 out what is somebody announced. Right. But so 00:21:31.480 --> 00:21:33.420 where do you see the situation at the moment? 00:21:33.880 --> 00:21:36.779 I think it's a really exciting time. You know, 00:21:36.799 --> 00:21:40.799 these things will take time. I hope and believe 00:21:40.799 --> 00:21:44.039 that Bill C -5 and others like it across the 00:21:44.039 --> 00:21:47.440 country are designed to speed up the government 00:21:47.440 --> 00:21:53.099 processes, but still support and enable the rights 00:21:53.099 --> 00:21:55.720 of Indigenous peoples through those processes. 00:21:56.180 --> 00:21:59.279 So I believe, and the way that it's been described 00:21:59.279 --> 00:22:04.180 to me, is that it's yes and. I do think that 00:22:04.180 --> 00:22:08.680 the government bureaucracy could speed up, that 00:22:08.680 --> 00:22:11.539 there's a lot of hesitancy in approving large 00:22:11.539 --> 00:22:15.160 projects. So what's really exciting is the view 00:22:15.160 --> 00:22:18.400 that people can come together and there are large 00:22:18.400 --> 00:22:21.579 groups of people coming together to try to find 00:22:21.579 --> 00:22:24.059 our way through economic prosperity in a way 00:22:24.059 --> 00:22:27.420 that we, I don't think we as a nation have looked 00:22:27.420 --> 00:22:31.000 at for a very long time. Our goal is really, 00:22:31.140 --> 00:22:33.740 and I think the goals of all the governments 00:22:33.740 --> 00:22:36.339 that I have had the opportunity to speak to and 00:22:36.339 --> 00:22:39.279 listen to, their goal is that Indigenous people 00:22:39.279 --> 00:22:42.160 are full partners at the table through these 00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:46.299 large nation -building projects. And so I believe 00:22:46.299 --> 00:22:48.019 where there's a will, there's a way. We will 00:22:48.019 --> 00:22:50.680 find our way through that level of partnership. 00:22:50.799 --> 00:22:53.079 We will find a way to get these projects done 00:22:53.079 --> 00:22:56.680 to advance Canada's economic opportunities with 00:22:56.680 --> 00:23:00.539 Indigenous people fully. involved as economic 00:23:00.539 --> 00:23:03.359 partners. And so what an exciting time that is. 00:23:04.279 --> 00:23:07.059 It's not going to be easy. Let's make no mistake. 00:23:07.359 --> 00:23:10.319 But I think we have the right mix of factors 00:23:10.319 --> 00:23:14.680 to have this come to fruition. And I will caveat 00:23:14.680 --> 00:23:18.920 that I am an optimist always. So I believe that 00:23:18.920 --> 00:23:22.480 we can do it. Yes. Well, I think Canada is an 00:23:22.480 --> 00:23:26.769 optimistic country at its heart. Yeah. Right. 00:23:26.849 --> 00:23:29.390 That's how we are where we are today, because 00:23:29.390 --> 00:23:33.950 it wasn't preordained that there would be more 00:23:33.950 --> 00:23:36.109 than one country on the North American continent. 00:23:36.309 --> 00:23:39.049 And of course, there was many sovereign nations 00:23:39.049 --> 00:23:42.990 before the settlers arrived, but they were many 00:23:42.990 --> 00:23:45.890 nations themselves on Turtle Islands. So I think 00:23:45.890 --> 00:23:49.950 it is something inherent in Canada. It's a small 00:23:49.950 --> 00:23:52.609 C conservative country. You know, change has 00:23:52.609 --> 00:23:56.230 to be brought in with everybody. on board as 00:23:56.230 --> 00:23:58.950 much as possible because that's what succeeds 00:23:58.950 --> 00:24:04.089 for our country up to date. And we have an opportunity 00:24:04.089 --> 00:24:06.930 to be more inclusive than we've ever been before. 00:24:08.289 --> 00:24:11.670 It's a very exciting time, Shanna. Great to have 00:24:11.670 --> 00:24:16.230 Indigenous leaders like yourself at the forefront. 00:24:16.650 --> 00:24:20.529 AIOC is really leading the way. There's lots 00:24:20.529 --> 00:24:23.839 of government support. across the country now 00:24:23.839 --> 00:24:25.900 at the federal level and provincial level but 00:24:25.900 --> 00:24:29.759 AIOC has been doing it in a bigger way than than 00:24:29.759 --> 00:24:34.500 most and so congratulations on that I was talking 00:24:34.500 --> 00:24:37.079 recently with a foreign investor who said you 00:24:37.079 --> 00:24:40.460 know we tried 15 years ago to do a big transaction 00:24:40.460 --> 00:24:44.799 in Canada and it didn't work and so tell me what's 00:24:44.799 --> 00:24:47.720 different and one of the things that's different 00:24:48.559 --> 00:24:52.640 are leaders like you and things that AIOC are 00:24:52.640 --> 00:24:55.960 doing to facilitate those transactions. They 00:24:55.960 --> 00:24:59.700 did not exist 15 years ago. Absolutely. I was 00:24:59.700 --> 00:25:01.960 going to say, Rob, give him my number. We'll 00:25:01.960 --> 00:25:07.319 help him. That in itself is different because 00:25:07.319 --> 00:25:11.859 there's this whole level of support and a framework 00:25:11.859 --> 00:25:15.819 that is empowering the Indigenous nations. and 00:25:15.819 --> 00:25:18.680 that governments have signed up for and are executing 00:25:18.680 --> 00:25:21.859 to the best of their ability. And maybe we all 00:25:21.859 --> 00:25:24.099 need to do more, of course, but it's in the right 00:25:24.099 --> 00:25:27.019 direction. Just, Shanna, with Bill C -5, and 00:25:27.019 --> 00:25:30.160 Rob just said he had a discussion, investor looked 00:25:30.160 --> 00:25:33.339 at it, couldn't make it happen 15 years ago. 00:25:34.519 --> 00:25:37.279 With the discussions around Bill C -5 at the 00:25:37.279 --> 00:25:40.920 moment, there are some people outside the country, 00:25:40.960 --> 00:25:46.609 investors, thinking, oh, here we go. How can 00:25:46.609 --> 00:25:50.150 you help them understand this is a process to 00:25:50.150 --> 00:25:52.650 get things done that is different and it's not 00:25:52.650 --> 00:25:59.609 going to be a block? I would say that my view 00:25:59.609 --> 00:26:03.490 of Bill C -5 is the goal is enablement. And so 00:26:03.490 --> 00:26:07.609 the goal is to boldly say Canadians are going 00:26:07.609 --> 00:26:10.009 to do things differently than we've done it in 00:26:10.009 --> 00:26:13.279 the past. Now, there are big discussions going 00:26:13.279 --> 00:26:16.579 on right now between Indigenous leaders and our 00:26:16.579 --> 00:26:20.599 prime minister. And so it's our prime minister's 00:26:20.599 --> 00:26:25.640 job to give our Indigenous leadership the view 00:26:25.640 --> 00:26:29.660 and the promise, the commitment that that participation 00:26:29.660 --> 00:26:34.839 will be inclusive and not run roughshod. So I 00:26:34.839 --> 00:26:39.150 think he's got a very, very significant. uh job 00:26:39.150 --> 00:26:41.670 in that not only does he have to bring our country 00:26:41.670 --> 00:26:45.029 together but also indigenous people need to be 00:26:45.029 --> 00:26:48.569 a part of the process in a meaningful way and 00:26:48.569 --> 00:26:51.950 we need to be able to do that at pace and really 00:26:51.950 --> 00:26:56.170 i think the view that if you can involve indigenous 00:26:56.170 --> 00:27:00.069 people at the outset at the planning stages that 00:27:00.069 --> 00:27:03.349 in in and of itself will help so instead of trying 00:27:03.349 --> 00:27:07.799 to reroute let's say a pipeline Once it's been 00:27:07.799 --> 00:27:10.180 fully planned and deployed and you're in consultation, 00:27:10.559 --> 00:27:15.019 if you can do that planning before and then plan 00:27:15.019 --> 00:27:17.660 your engineering, you know, the changes that 00:27:17.660 --> 00:27:20.500 you can make, the speed at which you can do them 00:27:20.500 --> 00:27:22.980 and the cost effectiveness at which you can do 00:27:22.980 --> 00:27:27.000 them, I think accelerates quickly. So I think 00:27:27.000 --> 00:27:30.240 there is opportunity here. It is not easy and 00:27:30.240 --> 00:27:32.059 it will not be for the faint of heart, but I 00:27:32.059 --> 00:27:34.759 think there is significant opportunity. And it 00:27:34.759 --> 00:27:39.130 starts with. The intention, the will, and, you 00:27:39.130 --> 00:27:42.990 know, it is a process. So I'm heartened. I'm 00:27:42.990 --> 00:27:45.569 excited. I'm looking forward to what comes next. 00:27:45.869 --> 00:27:48.549 And I think there is great opportunity. I would 00:27:48.549 --> 00:27:53.710 say for your listeners and also for both foreign 00:27:53.710 --> 00:27:57.490 and Canadian, I'm excited as well because the 00:27:57.490 --> 00:28:00.210 loan guarantee programs across the country are 00:28:00.210 --> 00:28:03.789 working together alongside the federal, the Canada 00:28:03.789 --> 00:28:06.609 Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program. So we have 00:28:06.609 --> 00:28:10.490 built these programs to enable those partnerships. 00:28:10.650 --> 00:28:13.789 And so I think we need to start and continue 00:28:13.789 --> 00:28:16.609 to build other parts of the Canadian economic 00:28:16.609 --> 00:28:19.849 development with partnership, with full partnership 00:28:19.849 --> 00:28:22.789 in mind. And together we can move mountains. 00:28:24.210 --> 00:28:26.430 Absolutely. And when you add up those programs, 00:28:26.750 --> 00:28:29.990 I think, and you must know the numbers better 00:28:29.990 --> 00:28:31.910 than I do, but I think you get to about $20 billion. 00:28:33.309 --> 00:28:36.690 of government support for Indigenous participation 00:28:36.690 --> 00:28:42.150 in major projects. And again, that's $20 billion. 00:28:42.890 --> 00:28:45.470 And I think probably more to come because there's 00:28:45.470 --> 00:28:47.390 more jurisdictions that haven't announced yet, 00:28:47.509 --> 00:28:51.690 right? So there will be more to come. I know 00:28:51.690 --> 00:28:54.329 the Alberta government is very keen for us to 00:28:54.329 --> 00:28:58.529 deploy. We have very strong support from our 00:28:58.529 --> 00:29:01.329 provincial government too. to further enable 00:29:01.329 --> 00:29:05.549 Indigenous partnerships. And so, you know, what 00:29:05.549 --> 00:29:08.549 makes me really happy is they really view it 00:29:08.549 --> 00:29:11.029 as good business. They view it as good for the 00:29:11.029 --> 00:29:13.609 Alberta economy from the Western Canadian economy 00:29:13.609 --> 00:29:17.849 to have Indigenous participation, both on an 00:29:17.849 --> 00:29:21.589 enablement and on a maximizing economic benefit 00:29:21.589 --> 00:29:26.630 front. And what's the AIOC's track record like 00:29:26.630 --> 00:29:29.450 after operating now for five years? Have you 00:29:29.450 --> 00:29:34.910 had any guarantees called? Any problems? Thanks 00:29:34.910 --> 00:29:37.089 for asking, Rob. And I'm proud to say that we 00:29:37.089 --> 00:29:39.549 have not. We have not taken a provision for credit 00:29:39.549 --> 00:29:41.869 law. So this is my accounting hat coming on. 00:29:42.089 --> 00:29:45.250 Too many years spent in an accounting firm. We 00:29:45.250 --> 00:29:46.930 have not had a provision for credit loss. We 00:29:46.930 --> 00:29:50.230 have not had a loss. We have closed nine transactions. 00:29:50.839 --> 00:29:54.960 like I said, to enable investment by 43 distinct 00:29:54.960 --> 00:29:58.160 nations and settlements in our region to invest 00:29:58.160 --> 00:30:01.920 over $1 .6 billion. And so I think that record 00:30:01.920 --> 00:30:05.279 stands on its own. We have a very thorough credit 00:30:05.279 --> 00:30:09.380 vetting process. Like I said, our deals are creative. 00:30:09.500 --> 00:30:12.960 They're a bit bespoke, but we have a high credit 00:30:12.960 --> 00:30:19.339 hurdle, I would say, to have a group loan guarantee. 00:30:20.170 --> 00:30:22.710 I make comments that it's not easy to get something 00:30:22.710 --> 00:30:25.509 improved by our program, and I won't apologize 00:30:25.509 --> 00:30:28.630 for that. We do have a responsibility to our 00:30:28.630 --> 00:30:31.390 provincial jurisdiction to protect the taxpayer 00:30:31.390 --> 00:30:36.650 dollars as well. So it's a, you know, you have 00:30:36.650 --> 00:30:38.450 to thread the needle once in a while, but we've 00:30:38.450 --> 00:30:41.569 been able to do it and to the benefit of Indigenous 00:30:41.569 --> 00:30:44.049 people in our province and for the province as 00:30:44.049 --> 00:30:47.569 a whole economically. It's an impressive record. 00:30:48.379 --> 00:30:51.460 And Shani, you're involved not only with AIOC, 00:30:51.519 --> 00:30:54.279 but you're on some other corporate boards as 00:30:54.279 --> 00:31:00.180 well. And Synovus Energy and Alamos Gold. I mean, 00:31:00.200 --> 00:31:04.599 I'm sure you get asked regularly to join boards, 00:31:04.779 --> 00:31:07.619 but what interested you about these two companies 00:31:07.619 --> 00:31:11.180 in particular? I'm really proud to be one of 00:31:11.180 --> 00:31:14.240 very few Indigenous corporate directors in the 00:31:14.240 --> 00:31:18.390 country. It's something I get a lot out of. those 00:31:18.390 --> 00:31:20.990 corporate directorships as well. I learn a lot. 00:31:21.450 --> 00:31:24.789 There's a couple of pieces. So one, both are 00:31:24.789 --> 00:31:26.950 resource -based businesses and there's a lot 00:31:26.950 --> 00:31:29.650 of resource -based aspects to the work that we 00:31:29.650 --> 00:31:33.130 do at the AIOC. So I learn from a technical perspective. 00:31:33.869 --> 00:31:36.769 I always start with the caliber of the people 00:31:36.769 --> 00:31:40.269 and the organization. So both Alamo's Gold and 00:31:40.269 --> 00:31:44.529 Synovus really represent values that align with 00:31:44.529 --> 00:31:47.950 me personally, with my lived experience. And 00:31:47.950 --> 00:31:51.509 with my professional goals, they are very strong, 00:31:51.710 --> 00:31:55.529 high caliber companies. The caliber of their 00:31:55.529 --> 00:31:59.170 people and their boards is outstanding. And they're 00:31:59.170 --> 00:32:01.710 just something that you resonate with. I come 00:32:01.710 --> 00:32:04.089 from a sports background. I think that you do, 00:32:04.170 --> 00:32:07.029 too. And it's like building any team, a corporate 00:32:07.029 --> 00:32:10.130 team and a sports team to me aren't that different. 00:32:10.190 --> 00:32:13.250 Any kind of team. It could be a ballet troupe 00:32:13.250 --> 00:32:16.829 or, you know. theater production. When you build 00:32:16.829 --> 00:32:19.470 a team, you need strong people that are good 00:32:19.470 --> 00:32:23.369 at all of their roles at the table to provide 00:32:23.369 --> 00:32:26.789 the best product and outcome. And so I've really 00:32:26.789 --> 00:32:29.009 experienced that through both of these board 00:32:29.009 --> 00:32:31.390 directorships and through my team at AIRC. So 00:32:31.390 --> 00:32:35.109 it's a privilege to be a part of them. You mentioned 00:32:35.109 --> 00:32:37.710 your sporting background. Are you curling much 00:32:37.710 --> 00:32:40.829 these days? I am not curling much these days. 00:32:42.440 --> 00:32:44.519 I was a longtime curler, as I think you know. 00:32:45.700 --> 00:32:48.980 Maybe just tell our listeners a bit about your 00:32:48.980 --> 00:32:50.700 background. Oh, okay. Well, especially coming 00:32:50.700 --> 00:32:51.440 from the UK. Because you just aren't throwing 00:32:51.440 --> 00:32:57.220 rocks. No, no. I played at a provincial level 00:32:57.220 --> 00:32:59.400 in Alberta. Some of the best teams in the world 00:32:59.400 --> 00:33:01.799 emanate from this region. So the competition 00:33:01.799 --> 00:33:06.539 is fierce. I played several Alberta seniors championships 00:33:06.539 --> 00:33:09.220 recently. One, even when I was in this role. 00:33:10.430 --> 00:33:13.670 But really, the time commitments, I'm now supporting 00:33:13.670 --> 00:33:17.109 my daughter's sporting activities as well. So 00:33:17.109 --> 00:33:20.250 one is rock climbing at a national level, and 00:33:20.250 --> 00:33:24.509 one is also a soccer player, and they have other 00:33:24.509 --> 00:33:28.730 sports as well. So now, between the work that 00:33:28.730 --> 00:33:31.829 I do for Indigenous Peoples, the board work, 00:33:31.950 --> 00:33:34.569 and supporting my girls' sporting careers through 00:33:34.569 --> 00:33:36.349 their teen years, there just isn't much time. 00:33:36.470 --> 00:33:39.289 I have to often just eat on the run, frankly. 00:33:40.359 --> 00:33:44.980 But I'm a proud sports mom. I think there's a 00:33:44.980 --> 00:33:50.359 significant correlation between success in sports 00:33:50.359 --> 00:33:52.859 and that team environment and success in business. 00:33:52.900 --> 00:33:57.339 I have really felt that myself and really encourage 00:33:57.339 --> 00:34:00.500 that for all others. It's an avenue for you to 00:34:00.500 --> 00:34:04.339 learn, grow, discipline, and it can help you 00:34:04.339 --> 00:34:09.059 build your dreams. With my staff and with my 00:34:09.059 --> 00:34:12.239 children, I always encourage them to follow their 00:34:12.239 --> 00:34:15.039 dreams. And my parents really believed in me. 00:34:15.199 --> 00:34:19.619 So I try to instill that in my teams, both my 00:34:19.619 --> 00:34:25.019 work teams and my family. Yes, it sounds, I mean, 00:34:25.039 --> 00:34:28.960 you've had a great career in sports and in commerce 00:34:28.960 --> 00:34:32.280 and finance. And just coming back to what would 00:34:32.280 --> 00:34:34.539 be some of the lessons you'd be sharing with 00:34:34.539 --> 00:34:37.199 young Canadians? Indigenous and non -Indigenous, 00:34:37.300 --> 00:34:40.679 about the crossroads the country is at and the 00:34:40.679 --> 00:34:43.559 future opportunities that you see based on your 00:34:43.559 --> 00:34:48.619 experience to date? I think with young people, 00:34:48.820 --> 00:34:52.059 I have two stepchildren in their 20s as well. 00:34:52.739 --> 00:34:55.300 There's a lot of doom and gloom on social media. 00:34:55.980 --> 00:34:58.940 And so what I would encourage you to do is look 00:34:58.940 --> 00:35:02.119 for the art of the possible. Look for the opportunity. 00:35:03.039 --> 00:35:07.400 Don't get sidetracked into negativity. You know, 00:35:07.420 --> 00:35:09.619 one of my staff used to say to me, there are 00:35:09.619 --> 00:35:12.239 no problems for you, only challenges to overcome. 00:35:12.760 --> 00:35:15.519 And I'm a big believer in where there's a will, 00:35:15.599 --> 00:35:21.559 there's a way. And so believe in yourself, be 00:35:21.559 --> 00:35:25.380 an optimist, find your way through. We've been 00:35:25.380 --> 00:35:28.500 doing it for hundreds of years and we will find 00:35:28.500 --> 00:35:32.619 our way through these issues now. So don't get... 00:35:33.949 --> 00:35:36.170 don't get defeated by some of the negativity 00:35:36.170 --> 00:35:39.610 and keep a steady state through those social 00:35:39.610 --> 00:35:42.210 media, in particular ups and downs. It feels 00:35:42.210 --> 00:35:46.050 like those channels can be so emotionally charged 00:35:46.050 --> 00:35:48.650 and that's really where most people get their 00:35:48.650 --> 00:35:51.030 information these days. So that would be my advice. 00:35:52.130 --> 00:35:54.329 Okay, thank you for that. And obviously you didn't 00:35:54.329 --> 00:35:56.789 grow up in Toronto, so you don't have the doom 00:35:56.789 --> 00:35:58.670 and gloom of waiting for the Maple Leafs to win 00:35:58.670 --> 00:36:00.429 a Stanley Cup because you're from the province 00:36:00.429 --> 00:36:03.260 of Alberta. I'm from the land of the Oilers. 00:36:03.360 --> 00:36:07.940 Exactly. Exactly. So you know what victory tastes 00:36:07.940 --> 00:36:11.579 like. Absolutely. And anything is possible. You 00:36:11.579 --> 00:36:13.920 know, keep dreaming and keep following your dreams 00:36:13.920 --> 00:36:16.820 always. Yes. Great. The one thing that I would 00:36:16.820 --> 00:36:20.059 say, and maybe you can tell me, is that I hear 00:36:20.059 --> 00:36:23.159 that international investors are looking at Alberta 00:36:23.159 --> 00:36:25.860 as a more attractive place to invest because 00:36:25.860 --> 00:36:28.460 of our progressive relationships with Indigenous 00:36:28.460 --> 00:36:32.010 peoples. That is what I hear from the Alberta 00:36:32.010 --> 00:36:35.429 government and different arms. And so I think 00:36:35.429 --> 00:36:38.889 that is part of the economic attraction piece 00:36:38.889 --> 00:36:42.730 and one of the reasons why the loan guarantee 00:36:42.730 --> 00:36:45.269 programs are starting to build across the country. 00:36:45.510 --> 00:36:48.710 The loan guarantee programs, in my opinion, also 00:36:48.710 --> 00:36:51.469 help to support the other aspects of the Indigenous 00:36:51.469 --> 00:36:55.230 financial ecosystem. So it's another piece of 00:36:55.230 --> 00:36:58.369 the puzzle to help fill in that picture. You 00:36:58.369 --> 00:37:01.090 have FNFA, you have First Nations Bank, you have 00:37:01.090 --> 00:37:03.789 Canada Infrastructure Bank. So there's lots of 00:37:03.789 --> 00:37:05.630 different pieces of the puzzle there. You have 00:37:05.630 --> 00:37:08.489 all the financial advisory services from organizations 00:37:08.489 --> 00:37:11.889 like MNP and Deloitte with Radius and so on. 00:37:12.010 --> 00:37:14.590 So I'm really excited about the growth of that 00:37:14.590 --> 00:37:18.010 ecosystem. Longhouse, Cedar Capital, it's really 00:37:18.010 --> 00:37:22.329 starting to fill in. But I'm proud of the rule 00:37:22.329 --> 00:37:24.949 that Indigenous loan guarantee programs have. 00:37:25.659 --> 00:37:28.739 played in enabling that system to grow and come 00:37:28.739 --> 00:37:34.460 together. As well, you should. Shanna Martineau, 00:37:34.460 --> 00:37:36.440 thank you for taking the time out to speak with 00:37:36.440 --> 00:37:40.139 us on Drumbeats. Thank you so much. It has been 00:37:40.139 --> 00:37:42.900 a pleasure to join you. Yes, thank you, Shanna. 00:37:44.659 --> 00:37:47.039 Thank you to Shanna Martineau for sharing your 00:37:47.039 --> 00:37:49.739 insights with us. And thank you for viewing and 00:37:49.739 --> 00:37:52.940 listening. Be sure to share, subscribe, and leave 00:37:52.940 --> 00:37:55.980 a review on your favorite podcast channel. Thanks 00:37:55.980 --> 00:37:58.300 for listening to Drum Beats. Until next time.