Hon. Scott Tannas: Madam Speaker, on behalf of my colleagues in the Canadian Senators Group, I congratulate you on your appointment as our new Speaker.

According to the Senate’s website, the Speaker “. . . ensures proceedings run smoothly.” At times, that can be a tall order here. Your past experience as chair of numerous organizations — such as the Council of Presidents of Universities in Manitoba and the Association of Canadian Francophone Colleges and Universities — will serve you well as our new presiding officer. However, I think it is your experience in a classroom and as a principal that will give you the best transferable skills for your new job here in the chamber.

As our Speaker, you will be asked to be the public face of the Senate and to act as our chief diplomat abroad. I am certain that you are up to the job and that you will carry out your duties with the same dedication and commitment you have shown throughout your career in this place and before being called to the Senate.

I do have a special wish for you, Madam Speaker. I hope that your transition goes a little smoother than that of your predecessor. I distinctly remember that, by his third day on the job, two questions of privilege and a point of order were raised. It is our hope that we will permit you to ease well into the job.

On a final note, I, for one — and I know others as well — will miss your musical ending of each Senate sitting day with the motion, “that the Senate do now adjourn.”

Congratulations, Madam Speaker. We look forward to working with you.

Hon. Scott Tannas: I rise today to speak on my colleague Senator Klyne’s inquiry that deals with the economic contributions of Indigenous businesses in Canada. I want to thank him for bringing this important inquiry forward.

As mentioned in his speech, there are more than 50,000 Indigenous-owned businesses in our country, annually contributing a total of $31 billion into Canada’s GDP. Senator Klyne very graciously spoke about the success of the Whitecap Dakota First Nation in Saskatchewan. Senator Busson equally spoke enthusiastically about many Indigenous success stories in her home province of British Columbia, including the Nisga’a and the Osoyoos Indian Band, to name a couple.

Today, I will speak about two of the many success stories in my home province of Alberta. I will not only speak to their successes, but also to the barriers they continue to face despite their monumental achievements. I think as representatives of our provinces, it is not only important to celebrate the achievements in our regions, but also to acknowledge and try to remedy the hurdles that are still in place.

Let me start with the first success story, the Fort McKay story. Fort McKay is located on the banks of the Athabasca River just north of Fort McMurray. In the community, there live about 800 people, members of Dene, Cree and Métis descent. It’s a signatory to Treaty 8 and boasts a long-standing history dating back to 1820, when the Hudson’s Bay Company first built a trading post near the current site of the village.

Fast forward to 1986. The Fort McKay Group of Companies, or FMGOC, is established. In fact, it should be mentioned that the first female chief in Alberta, Chief Dorothy McDonald-Hyde, was instrumental in establishing the Fort McKay Group of Companies.

It began modestly with two employees and a single janitorial contract. Today, the Fort McKay Group of Companies has over 1,000 employees from over 75 First Nations across Canada and 5 subsidiaries. In addition to that, Fort McKay has a holding company called Fort McKay Landing Limited Partnership, and its investment portfolio includes 13 private companies that have been built using the nation’s generated business income. That income is then reinvested into current subsidiaries and into new ventures as part of the nation’s private equity fund.

Simply, the goal for Fort McKay is to become fully self-sustaining such that the revenue generated from their growing investment portfolio of companies is used to pay for community infrastructure, services and programs. We have heard that their portfolio of companies operating over four provinces generates approximately $500 million in revenue. Fort McKay First Nation has, in fact, contributed over $1 billion in accumulated business activity to the Alberta economy, and now employs over 1,500 Albertans, contributing to the Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance base.

All of Fort McKay’s businesses embrace specific core values. First, they are all either majority or minority Indigenous owned or operated businesses. Second, each company tries to maintain a minimum of 10% Indigenous employment in their organization. This is a commendable goal and not an easy feat. While some of their portfolio companies have achieved this goal, Fort McKay supports others in their recruitment of Indigenous talent. It is the nation’s goal to be the largest Indigenous employer — a workforce they believe is severely underutilized.

Further, many community leaders have been working hard to learn and implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. Every year they have seen more and more of their portfolio companies participate in the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls on May 5; May 11, Moose Hide Campaign Day; June 21, National Indigenous Peoples Day; and September 30, Orange Shirt Day.

Third is a core value set. In our conversations with Fort McKay, we were notified of an acronym: PACE — People, Accountability, Culture and Equity. Monika Wilson, Vice President of Fort McKay Landing LP, summed it up beautifully:

It’s how we value people, value accountability, value culture, and value equity. Seeing and celebrating the achievements of our members and employees, being transparent in our governance and business activities, having culturally relevant policies, programs, and services, and engaging elders as cultural advisors, and ensuring that our policies and procedures are fair and without bias is how we strive to do our jobs.

Before moving on to the barriers still faced by Fort McKay, let me briefly introduce the second success story, which is Tsuut’ina First Nation, signatory to Treaty 7, bordering the city of Calgary. Tsuut’ina’s history dates back to the early 1700s.

In 2007, Tsuut’ina opened Grey Eagle Resort & Casino just outside Calgary. The resort includes a casino with over 84,000 square feet of gaming action, over 1,000 slot machines, 40 gaming tables, six poker tables, a bingo hall, a four-star hotel and conference centre and a 2,500-seat event centre. It is widely regarded as the number one casino in Calgary and the number two casino in Alberta, just behind the River Cree Resort and Casino in Enoch.

Today, the casino employs roughly 450 employees, while the hotel and event centre employ an additional 250 employees. Of the employees at the casino, there are 39 Tsuut’ina employees and 82 First Nations employees. Of the employees at the hotel and event centre, there are 16 Tsuut’ina employees and 52 Indigenous employees.

All revenue the casino makes, Tsuut’ina puts back into the community. This is a pattern I am sure you have noticed, colleagues. Every penny made through Indigenous establishments exists for the betterment of the community. The money Tsuut’ina makes is used to support health care, emergency services and housing on-reserve. In fact, over the years Tsuut’ina has spent approximately $30 million on policing services on their reserve. Furthermore, there are currently plans for the construction of 60 houses in the community, and that is not including the 185 houses already built in the community using casino revenue.

I should also mention that, pursuant to the First Nations Development Fund Grant Program that has been entered into between Alberta and all First Nations, revenue generated from the Grey Eagle Casino is shared. Of slot revenue, 10% goes to non-Host First Nations which is then used by those First Nations to support their own economic, social and community development. Of slot revenue, 30% goes to the Province of Alberta. This is Tsuut’ina’s way of giving back and sharing the success. It should also be mentioned that since the casino’s opening, Tsuut’ina Nation has given Alberta $442 million.

Now that I have spoken on both success stories, let me relay some of Fort McKay and Tsuut’ina’s concerns. Both nations believe that the Government of Canada does not do enough. Both have either faced barriers in acquiring funding or in licensing projects. Both feel there are a lack of resources for Indigenous business owners.

For Fort McKay, an issue they have noticed that is unique to First Nations businesses is that they do not have access to capital for on-reserve assets to be financed. Banks and lenders cannot seize assets on-reserve, so it makes getting loans against assets on-reserve difficult if not impossible.

Another avenue of disadvantage is in the lack of mentorship programs that give interested persons the ability to acquire skills relevant to running a business, especially where it comes to understanding the complex legal framework surrounding business management on and off reserves, bookkeeping, accounting and general financial management. These skills are crucial in cultivating future talent in Indigenous communities. This is a shared responsibility — it does not just fall on Fort McKay or Tsuut’ina or any Indigenous community. Everyone benefits from talent in this country. It’s a part of economic reconciliation, which is part of larger reconciliation.

For Tsuut’ina, many of the challenges existed prior to Grey Eagle Casino being operational. For Grey Eagle Casino to be built, Tsuut’ina first had to enter into negotiations with the federal government to lease their own lands for development. The establishment then had to be licensed by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission. All this can be a lengthy process, and, because Tsuut’ina cannot license their own gaming establishments, they only keep a portion of the revenue the establishment generates. The rest goes to the province — and while a portion of it is used for noble pursuits, such as the First Nations Development Fund Grant Agreement, the vast majority is simply pocketed into general revenues by the province. It is an unfair bargain, to say the least. What would make it a lot easier is if First Nations were not restrained by licensing rules outlined in the Criminal Code and, instead, could exercise their sovereignty on these matters where their own land was concerned. I will not delve into this topic deeper than this, but, colleagues, stay tuned. In the coming weeks, I will be speaking on this matter in greater detail.

To conclude, colleagues, I hope I have left you with some food for thought — and for my fellow Alberta senators, pride in these incredible Indigenous entrepreneurs. I am not sure if we will hear about all 50,000 Indigenous-owned businesses across this country, but we will hear about many, and I look forward to those stories that my colleagues will present on this inquiry. Thank you again, Senator Klyne.