A continued focus on relationships: CER makes a three-year commitment to B.C.’s Aboriginal Liaison Program

August 12, 2022

Since time immemorial, Tom Aird’s family has lived in relation to the land in northeastern B.C. They have always gardened, hunted, foraged and trapped. His family continues to gather medicines in the old ways. Tom remembers the days when his community had no running water or electricity and used a hole in the ground to keep food cold.

Tom is a respected Elder and proud member of Saulteau First Nation. He is also a Liaison with the BC Oil and Gas Commission’s Aboriginal Liaison Program.

Tom has seen the land change over the years due to regular nature cycles, resource development and other human factors such as hunting. He is a Liaison because he wants to make a difference in the management of the environmental footprint that inevitably comes with resource development.

“It’s important that as we look at our footprint, we consider what the effects are down the road to make sure that this is all still here for our children and their children.” He explains that his biggest focus areas as a Liaison have been exploring, walking the land, mapping and sharing the changes to the landscape. This includes things only he and his community are intimately familiar with, such as the destruction of traditional trails.

Tom and the other Liaisons are not only highly-skilled in monitoring and oversight, but also have the depth of knowledge needed to share how Indigenous Peoples relate, care for, and protect their relationship and obligation to the land. First Nations Elders and Knowledge Keepers have an ancestral responsibility to protect the land, and they do this through many present-day obligations, such as sharing Indigenous Knowledge.

“My community and our children need somewhere to continue developing and sharing our culture,” Tom explains.

The CER is grateful to work with Liaisons like Tom over this past year through its participation in the program as a pilot project. The pilot provided the CER with the opportunity to learn alongside Liaisons about the land, culture, communities, and concerns of First Nations across Northern B.C.

The CER’s decision to turn the pilot into an additional 3-year commitment to the Aboriginal Liaison Program will support strong working relationships that will benefit both the CER and participating First Nations.

“Through the pilot project, we had the opportunity to share a lot of information and most importantly, get to know each other,” says Cathy Chalupa, Technical Specialist, CER Pacific Region. “There’s no question that this has helped us to be a better regulator. It truly was an easy decision to continue our participation in this trailblazing program.”

Doig River hosts Doig Cultural Days for the community.
Photo credit: Lisbeth Haigh-Turner

Lisbeth Haigh-Turner, the CER’s on-the-ground point person for the Aboriginal Liaison Program, agrees the relationships that have been forged through this program have been invaluable.

“This partnership has enabled us to understand more fully how pipelines impact communities. Liaisons have shared that they’ve benefited by learning about how the CER can enhance the work that they do for their communities,” she says. “We move into year two with a strong foundation on how we will work together to address current challenges and to find collaborative solutions.”

The BC Oil and Gas Commission is pleased that the CER will continue its participation in the program and is looking forward to strengthening the relationship over the next three years.

“The ALP aligns values between Nations and Government; which means the Liaisons have vital roles in sharing their perspective on their Indigenous land values and priorities. This includes promoting and facilitating opportunities for government agencies to participate in the ongoing important work Nations are currently leading,” says Christa Wheat, BC Oil and Gas Commission Liaison Program Advisor. “To me, this demonstrates meaningful relationship building through mutual respect and common understanding of energy regulation lifecycle. Having the CER participate will strengthen collaborative opportunities with Liaisons, their communities, and the BC Oil and Gas Commission and CER when they share regulating roles on infrastructure in B.C.”

Beaver hides being prepared for Doig Cultural Days.
Photo credit: Lisbeth Haigh-Turner

The CER looks forward to continuing the journey to transform the way we work with Indigenous Peoples throughout Canada and is committed to meaningful Indigenous involvement in our work to improve regulatory outcomes for all Canadians.

The Aboriginal Liaison Program and its participants are supported by the BC Oil and Gas Research and Innovation Society. You can find more information on the program on the BC Oil and Gas Commission website.