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11/27/2024
CN yesterday issued its first Indigenous reconciliation action plan, an outline of concrete steps, goals and measurable commitments to guide the Class I over the next three years.
The plan's commitments and actions were developed and shaped by the insights, priorities and feedback received from Indigenous communities and CN employees who engage with them, CN officials said in press release.
The action plan is structured on five key “pillars” or categories of action. They are: cultural awareness and employee engagement; people and employment; economic reconciliation; community engagement and relationships; and environmental stewardship, safety and sustainability.
“As a company, we are committed to driving meaningful change and ensuring that our efforts have a lasting, positive impact,” said Olivier Chouc, senior vice president and chief legal officer. “This is about more than a plan — it's about deepening relationships, fostering collaboration, and building a better future together.”
Actions called for in the 36-page plan call for rolling out a national cultural awareness training curriculum across the company; developing a strategy to attract, retain and advance Indigenous employees; negotiating with province government to direct tax revenue to Indigenous communities near the CN right-of-way; identifying land that can be returned to First Nation communities; and increasing Indigenous suppliers involvement in field studies and development assessments.
CN’s network operates within reserve lands of more than 120 First Nations and Metis communities in Canada and seven tribal reservations in the United States, according to the CN Indigenous relations webpage,where the full action plan can be downloaded.