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Presenters
Learn about the speakers at the Conference.
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Dick Heinen is executive director of the Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC). A carpenter by trade, Dick has spent many years in the construction industry. He has been a member of CLAC since 1968.
When the opportunity arose in 1995, he joined the union as a representative, becoming Edmonton regional director in 2000, Alberta provincial director in 2002, and executive director in 2006. He works mainly out of CLAC’s Edmonton office. The growth of the Alberta economy has resulted in significant opportunities for CLAC. As a result Dick is often asked to speak on labour issues in the province, and in 2006 he was recognized by Alberta Venture magazine as one of the 50 most influential persons in Alberta that year. Dick and his wife, Bonnie, have 6 sons, 5 of which are married, and 11 grandchildren. |
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Mel Benson means business. With over a lifetime of achievement in the energy sector both in Canada and internationally, he’s shown that bridges between the indigenous world and this crucial area of the economy can indeed be built. A member of Alberta’s Beaver Lake Cree Nation, he has developed industry leading policies in the area of Aboriginal employment, education, and training. He designed and served as an instructor for Alberta’s first native studies program. Now a director with Suncor Energy Inc., Mel is a living embodiment of tomorrow’s success for Aboriginal Canadians today. |
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Karen Young was voted Alberta Chamber of Commerce’s Women Entrepreneur of the Year in 2008. With her husband, Brian, Karen operates KB Jodan Inc., a medical service company that specializes in alcohol and drug testing and educates workers in safety techniques and medical emergencies. Karen is a certified paramedic, a graduate of the Labour College of Canada, and a student in the faculty of medicine. Karen’s philosophy: “If I can help just one person each day to get a little closer to their goal, then I will say that I’ve definitely had a very good day!” |
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Victor Buffalo Victor Buffalo was installed as an officer of the Order of Canada in 2008, inducted to the Alberta Order of Excellence in 2007, and inducted into the Aboriginal Business Hall of Fame by the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business in 2006 in recognition of his many contributions to his people and the province. A former chief of the Samson Cree Nation, he is a respected Alberta leader and entrepreneur whose work has helped First Nation businesses. Victor took on a landmark project in the creation of Canada’s first Aboriginal-owned financial institution. Peace Hills Trust opened its doors in 1981, offering personal and business loans and investing in Aboriginal projects. The institution has 8 branches and some $400 million in assets. |
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Elijah Harper became Chief at age 29. When he uttered the firm and eloquent “No” that blocked the passage of the Meech Lake Accord in the Manitoba Legislature in 1990, he exemplified the growing political clout of First Nations across Canada. His efforts garnered him great distinction and accolades. Elected to the Manitoba Legislature in 1981, he served for 11 years. In 1993, he was elected Liberal MP for Churchill, Canada’s third largest riding. He currently sits on the House Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development. |
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Allan Page worked on community development in Saskatchewan and has worked in construction for 25 years as a carpenter, contractor, and trade instructor. In 1998 he developed a highly successful program assisting Aboriginal people to develop careers in the construction industry. He is currently a project manager with the Construction Sector Council on a national industry human resource initiative, including working with AHRDAs to promote Aboriginal employment. The Construction Sector Council (CSC) is a national organization committed to developing a highly skilled workforce to support the current and future needs of the construction industry in Canada. Financed by the government of Canada and industry, CSC is a partnership between business and labour. |
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Dr. Cora Voyageur is a tenured, associate professor of sociology at the University of Calgary. Her research interests explore the Aboriginal experience in Canada including leadership employment, community and economic development, women’s issues, and health. She is the author of Firekeepers of the 21st Century: Women Chiefs in Canada (McGill Queen’s University Press) and A Century of Great Aboriginal Albertans (Athabasca University Press). She is co-editor of Hidden in Plain Sight: Contributions of Aboriginal Peoples to Canadian Identity and Culture, Volumes I and II. She is currently working on manuscripts on Aboriginal leadership in Canada for UBC Press and about the position of Aboriginal women in Canada for Canadian Scholar’s Press. She is a member of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation from northern Alberta. |
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Michael McDonald, LLB, of the law firm McDonald and Company, is the firm’s principal. He is Cree and a member of the Peguis First Nation in Manitoba. Michael has acquired a national reputation for his ability to negotiate and structure significant commercial land and resource-based projects that protect and promote the economic, social, and environmental interests of First Nation clients. These include drafting impact and benefit agreements, joint ventures, partnerships and limited partnerships, and many other commercial arrangements in numerous regional and community-based Aboriginal business ventures in the forestry, mining, construction, oil and gas, tourism, and energy sectors throughout Canada. Michael is a former board member of World Vision, Canada’s largest privately funded humanitarian aid and development agency. |
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Paul de Jong started working as a representative for CLAC in 1989 in the union’s Edmonton office. He then moved south to work in the Calgary office, becoming CLAC’s Calgary regional director in 2001. He was appointed Alberta provincial director in 2006. Paul is currently on the board of directors of the Alberta Construction Safety Association (ACSA) and is co-chair of the COAA Respect in the Workplace committee. He resides in Calgary with his wife and daughter. |
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