From L-R: Amy Rose, First Nations Relationships Manager, Canfor; Destyni Basil; Jacey Proudfoot, Employment Development Officer, Ktunaxa; and Grant Neville, First Nations & Planning Coordinator, Planning Administration, Canfor.
Working together with our First Nations communities is a key component of our business. One of our important partnerships is with the Ktunaxa Nation, and was formally recognized with the joint signing of a Relationship Protocol and an Engagement and Benefit Agreement in 2014.
In this agreement, Canfor and Ktunaxa have committed to work together to promote, support and/or influence programs to increase the number of opportunities for Ktunaxa members within Canfor’s workforce. To support this, Canfor provided bursaries to five Ktunaxa students earlier this year. The financial support will assist each with their forestry or trades related studies.
Congratulations to the following recipients:
- Brandon Alpine, who recently finished his fourth year carpentry and will soon be taking his interprovincial Red Seal test to become a journeyman carpenter;
- Destyni Basil, who is currently a first year heavy duty mechanic apprentice and has been accepted into her second year of heavy duty mechanics;
- Jared Luke, who is a first year electrical apprentice;
- Jeremy Osborne, who is currently enrolled as a C level welder; and
- Yhance Sebastian, who completed his third year steam fitter/pipe fitter course.
Canfor is committed to continuing a relationship with all five students throughout their programs and hope in the future that we will be able to match a Canfor opportunity with their skill sets and have them join the Canfor team.