Tom Syer
Director of First Nations and Corporate Relations, Plutonic Power Corporation

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British Columbia has only a handful of treaties with First Nations on our Crown land base. At the same time, we are a province blessed with a diverse and valuable set of natural resources — from minerals to forestry to recreational tourism to renewable energy. As businesses adapt and become more proactive in working with First Nations, we’ve seen the rights and title issues of First Nations in British Columbia come to the forefront in unique ways.

Many First Nations in British Columbia have strong rights and title claims. At a minimum, First Nations expect that these rights will be respected, but more proactively with many First Nations there is also an opportunity to build partnerships that reconcile interests on the land base in a very positive way.

For the Plutonic Power Corporation, the Toba Montrose project has been at the cornerstone of our First Nations partnerships. Early on in our project development, we went to the Klahoose, Sliammon and Sechelt First Nations to listen and start building relationships.

At the core of our philosophy is to respect the rights and title of each nation we work with. In the Toba Montrose project, we shared our project vision and received input at an early stage in the process. This built trust and transparency and allowed for more potential opportunities as well as learning as we went and developing a better understanding of the interests at play.

Plutonic is a company that strives to understand what the underlying issues are in moving forward with a project and with First Nations. Each nation is unique and we need to make sure we understand and develop relationships with each, but our underlying principles as a company are the same. We value trust and transparency, we respect and understand rights and title and we want to work together to translate that into a working partnership.

Our success is grounded in taking the time to learn and understand the nations and making sure that each project and negotiation uniquely fits their needs, as well as our own. We try to marry our visions and needs with theirs to form creative Impact Benefit Agreements (IBAs). However, the real manifestation of the partnership is not the agreement, but the implementation and execution of the IBA. That’s where the truly fulfilling work comes in — translating the concept into reality.

Outside of developing these relationships, our biggest successes have been watching and helping to leverage the reopening of the Toba Valley region for development and economic self-determination of the Klahoose Nation through innovative programs like the Powell River Educational Services Society to train employees in food preparation and service while providing catering and housekeeping to the Toba power project camp. Throughout the project development, we’ve seen the Klahoose Nation go from relatively high levels of unemployment to nearly full employment and economic diversification into areas such as forestry, with the recent acquisition of a Tree Farm License (TFl 10) in the Toba Valley.

While Plutonic takes the relationship lead with our First Nations partners, it is essential for the First Nations to see that our key financial and project partner is also involved. GE is not only involved from a financial sense; GE understands and is willing be a part of the First Nations relationship when the time is right. GE’s financial wherewithal and corporate ethics component are a big part of ensuring our First Nations partners see projects as ones that actually are going to happen.

GE has done an excellent job in picking the right spots to be directly involved with First Nations. Leaders like Mark Tonner, Managing Director of GE Energy Financial Services in Canada have been there to share their role on this project with First Nations.

Working with stakeholders in the community is key to Plutonic’s existence. We need to work closely with all stakeholders to ensure that we fulfill the public interest — this gives us a social license to operate. The most fulfilling part for me in working with First Nations is seeing the shared benefits flow and the concept of a true partnership brought to fruition. Many of the First Nations have been economically disenfranchised from their territory for so long that it’s a powerful and rewarding experience to see tangible results. At the end of the day, it is these results and the benefits to all in our operating areas, First Nation and non-First Nation, that really makes a difference for people.