The Robust Indigenous Economy Makes Economic Reconciliation an Urgent Business Imperative

(TORONTO– November 23, 2023) – Taking action on economic reconciliation has tremendous value for Indigenous and non-Indigenous businesses alike, enabling opportunities for shared economic prosperity and long-term business success. Today, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) and Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) released Sharing Prosperity: An Introduction to Building Relationships for Economic Reconciliation in Ontario. This introductory resource is part of the Economic Reconciliation Initiative, a partnership between both organizations aimed at advancing economic reconciliation by building business capacity to implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 92.

This resource offers foundational knowledge and practical guidance on fostering mutually beneficial relationships with Indigenous people, businesses, and communities. It addresses several topics, such as historical context, Indigenous rights, challenges facing Indigenous businesses, and meaningful opportunities for engagement, in addition to centralizing relevant resources and reports for additional learning and capacity-building opportunities. Sharing Prosperity sets the stage for a more comprehensive resource to follow, which will explore different strategies for implementing economic reconciliation initiatives across industries.

“The OCC recognizes that as a settler-led organization, we have the responsibility to take on this work and that reconciliation is an ongoing process of learning and action. Initial steps we have taken to date include increasing the representation of Indigenous Peoples on our Board of Directors, applying Indigenous perspectives to our policy work, and committing to undertake continuous internal training. Nevertheless, there remains much work ahead.” said Rocco Rossi, President and CEO, OCC. “This resource provides the business community with an introduction to the knowledge and know-how required to advance Truth and Reconciliation and build mutually beneficial relationships with Indigenous Peoples.”

The Indigenous economy is strong and growing. Indigenous businesses contribute nearly $50 billion annually to Canada’s GDP, and there are over 75,000 Indigenous-owned businesses and entrepreneurs in Canada. The urgency to advance economic reconciliation is both a moral and an economic imperative. There are many avenues that businesses of all sizes and industries can pursue to advance economic reconciliation. While each approach may not apply to every organization, it is incumbent upon businesses to critically examine and implement the relevant actions that they can take on both an organizational and sector-wide level.

Some of the key actions that businesses can take include:

• Advancing Indigenous cultural awareness and education by sharing territorial acknowledgements, distributing educational reconciliation resources to staff, providing Indigenous cultural competency training, and attending/participating in Indigenous events.
• Promoting equitable Indigenous employment and business opportunities by providing reduced rates/complimentary access to events, memberships, and training for Indigenous businesses/individuals, implementing inclusive Human Resource strategies to recruit and retain Indigenous candidates, auditing workplace policies and procedures to promote reconciliation, linking executive compensation to economic reconciliation performance metrics, and convening an Indigenous Advisory Committee.
• Engaging with Indigenous communities and supporting economic development by making Indigenous community investments, developing Indigenous partnership-building and engagement strategies, implementing Indigenous procurement policies, obtaining certification/accreditation in Indigenous relations, developing a Reconciliation Action Plan, and entering into revenue- or equity-sharing agreements with Indigenous businesses and/or communities.

“We are proud to collaborate with the OCC and release the introductory resource of the Economic Reconciliation Initiative as we continue to take meaningful action towards economic reconciliation,” said Mathew Foss, Vice President of Research and Public Policy, CCAB. “This resource provides companies that want to take a step in the right direction to supporting Truth and Reconciliation a place to start and will begin to pave the way for inclusive growth.”

We wish to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation for the invaluable contributions of the Indigenous Advisory Committee members and the CCAB Research team, who provided key insights to ensure this resource is grounded in Indigenous knowledge and experience.

Thank you as well to our Lead Partners, Hydro One, BMO, Bruce Power, CN, Meridian, and our Supporting Partners, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) and Ontario Power Generation. To learn more or get involved, contact Sara Beyer, Senior Policy Analyst, OCC, and Andy Avgerinos, Project Manager, Research, CCAB.

Read the resource.

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About the Ontario Chamber of Commerce
The Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) is the indispensable partner of business and Canada’s largest, most influential provincial chamber. It is an independent, not-for-profit advocacy and member services organization representing a diverse network of 60,000 members. The OCC’s mission is to convene, align and advance the interests of its members through principled policy work, value-added business services and broad engagement to drive competitiveness and economic growth in the province.

About the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business
CCAB is committed to the full participation of Indigenous peoples in Canada’s economy. As a national, non-partisan association, its mission is to promote, strengthen and enhance a prosperous Indigenous economy through the fostering of business relationships, opportunities, and awareness.  CCAB offers knowledge, resources, and programs to its members to cultivate economic opportunities for Indigenous peoples and businesses across Canada. For more information visit www.ccab.com.

For more information, please contact:
Andrea Carmona
Manager, Public Affairs,
Ontario Chamber of Commerce
andreacarmona@occ.ca | Mobile: (647) 234-0255

Alannah Jabokwoam,
Senior Associate, Communications & Public Relations
Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business
ajabokwoam@ccab.com  | Phone: (416) 961-8663 ext. 227