GeoPro Talks: Building Relationships – Collaborating and building trust with Indigenous communities in North BC

Online

Marion Reid, AScT & Aaron Yaremchuk, P.Chem

Description

Associated Environmental Consultants Inc. and Associated Engineering (collectively known as Associated) have been building a great relationship with Lake Babine Nation over many years. Lake Babine Nation is the third-largest Indigenous band in BC. The relationship with Lake Babine Nation has stemmed from a collaboration to address some of the Nation’s community needs. With the support of Indigenous Services Canada, Associated has and continues to provide environmental consulting and engineering services at three Lake Babine Nation communities, Fort Babine, Tachet, and Woyenne. These services include contaminated sites assessment, facility decommissioning, remediation, waste management, wastewater treatment, roads, and building projects.

This presentation provides an overview of some of the work Associated is doing for Lake Babine Nation, with a focus on relationship building: relationships with the First Nation client, relationships with the community members, and relationships with the internal team of varied professionals.

About Instructor(s)

Marion Reid, AScT & Aaron Yaremchuk, P.Chem

Marion is an environmental professional with almost 30 years’ experience, who is currently leading a team of contaminated sites and hydrogeology professionals at Associated Environmental Consultants Inc. in Vernon, BC. Her career has focused on contaminated sites assessment and remediation. And she is an avid animal lover, spending much of her time recreating with her dog and horse.

Aaron is a professional chemist with five years’ experience as a contaminated sites consultant. He studied chemistry at The King’s University in Edmonton, AB, and currently works at Associated Environmental Consultants Inc. in Vernon, BC, as a project manager and field scientist on projects all over BC and the North.