SECURE builds lasting relationships through engagement and discussions with a focus on respect, diversity and inclusion. It all starts where we live and work. We believe in sharing success with the local communities where we operate. We strive to be a respectful and responsible corporate neighbour, which means:
- Minimizing impacts associated with our operations;
- Investing in the community; and
- Working with Indigenous Peoples to create mutual value.
Engagement begins in the pre-planning and planning stages of a project and continues through the full life cycle of our operating assets, to eventual remediation and reclamation. Our long-term success depends on building trust with those who may be impacted by our operations.
We believe we can accomplish this by being:
- Transparent
- Respectful
- Understanding stakeholders’ values and interests, and
- Sharing our success.
Our goal is to build long-term, mutually beneficial relationships through thoughtful, meaningful engagement with a focus on respect, diversity and inclusion. To accomplish this, we work to learn about the context and the particular social, economic and cultural aspects of the areas where we operate and identify how our operations may affect them. SECURE is guided by the framework set out in its Indigenous Relations Policy.
Indigenous Relationships
We acknowledge the rights and interests of Aboriginal communities and we are dedicated to promoting a business culture that is inclusive and respects diversity. As part of our commitment to this value, we are a proud member of:
- The Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB)
- The Circle for Aboriginal Relations (CFAR)
- Northeast Alberta Aboriginal Business Association (NAABA)
We believe these groups support building and strengthening of effective business relationships, personal development and shared prosperity between aboriginal communities and our industry.
Respectful Engagement
SECURE strives to build strong, long lasting and mutually beneficial relationships in the areas in which we operate. These relationships are critical to the ongoing success of our operations and ability to advance new projects. As such, we focus on developing these relationships through respectful, meaningful engagement over the entire life cycle of our assets. We acknowledge that our projects may have impacts on lands that have been traditionally utilized by Indigenous Peoples for generations. We value the feedback and unique perspective that these Indigenous communities offer and seek to respond to any concerns in a timely and comprehensive manner.
Focusing on courteous and respectful behaviour throughout all stages of development and ongoing operations is reflective of our values (specifically “treating others the way you want to be treated” and “acting with integrity”).
Economic Participation
SECURE has a formalized framework intended to guide our efforts in strengthening the communities in which we operate by providing opportunities for increased economic participation in our business. The framework is built on the following pillars:
- Community Investment
- Employment and Capacity Building
- Economic Inclusion (Partnerships, Joint Ventures, Equity Participation)
Economic Inclusion
We are continuously advancing our collaborative Indigenous partnerships and joint ventures. These agreements support the hiring, training and subcontracting of Indigenous peoples and Indigenous-owned businesses. SECURE continues to evaluate equity participation opportunities for Indigenous communities.
Employment, Capacity Building and Indigenous Suppliers
We are committed to providing business and employment opportunities to qualified Indigenous businesses and people in the communities where we operate. In 2020, we worked with over 50 Indigenous-owned businesses, contractors or suppliers for a total spend of $12.3 million.
Supply Chain
The success of our business relies heavily on the relationships that we have built with our suppliers. We strive to work with organizations who share our core values, sustainability objectives and environmental and social practices.
We implemented a Supplier Code of Conduct to establish standards and principles with respect to labour and human rights, business ethics, health and safety, environmental sustainability, and stakeholder engagement for our vendors, contractors, and consultants.
Using our Contractor Management System, we prequalify our contractors and suppliers prior to providing goods or services. This system tracks injury and incident statistics, health and safety program and workers’ compensation information.