For decades GardaWorld has been partnering with Indigenous communities and organizations. In the 1980’s, we made our first corporate commitment to providing employment for Indigenous peoples. Over 35 years later, we are proud to have more than 50 partnerships with Indigenous communities, associations, and corporations across Canada. We offer these groups not only job opportunities, but also training, support services, and a commitment to shared economic development, so that we can excel together as a team and as an organization.
As a Canadian company and good corporate citizens, GardaWorld embraces the terms of the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada. The TRC was founded to redress the history of Canada’s Residential Schools and rebuild the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians.
Today, Joel Pedersen acts as GardaWorld’s Prairie Region’s Director of Indigenous Engagement, Business Development and Training. Joel provides leadership on reconciliation initiatives for the Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce, as well as for the Canadian Forces. Members of his family attended Residential Schools, so he knows only too well why our country and companies must move forward.
“I have family members that did go to residential schools. So, I'm connected to that, and so are my kids, and someday so will their kids. It's not like that connection is ever going to end, but it doesn't mean that it has to shape the future. In my opinion, shaping the future is creating opportunities, meaningful opportunities, where both parties can come together and make the future a lot better. That's one of the real reasons why it's important for companies like GardaWorld, an international corporation, to take that extra step and build meaningful engagement with First Nations, Metis and other Indigenous communities across Canada.”
“The Truth and Reconciliation Commission came up with 94 recommendations, but number 92 is quite important for Canadian companies. TRC 92 talks about business and how important it is to have engagement with Indigenous people and providing meaningful education and meaningful employment opportunities, so it's kind of like levelling the ground,” Joel continues.
Of the 94 recommendations, only TRC 92 relates to Business and Reconciliation. It summarizes corporate responsibility in one brief clause:
Ensure that Aboriginal peoples have equitable access to jobs, training, and education opportunities in the corporate sector, and that Aboriginal
communities gain long-term sustainable benefits from economic development projects.
According to Joel, currently, engagement with Indigenous communities is not only the right thing to do; it also makes good business sense.
“The Indigenous population is the fastest growing demographic in Canada. For example, in a city like Saskatoon, in 2021 alone, Indigenous people contributed 1.1 billion dollars to the local economy. If we could assist in closing the income gap between Indigenous people and non-Indigenous people, we'd be looking at roughly another 196.4 million dollars for the city of Saskatoon alone. Saskatoon has a population of only about 300,000 people, so you can understand what a boom that can be to your own area, or for the entire country. I think one of the reasons why it makes good fiscal sense for corporations to look at the Indigenous communities is the fact that there's opportunity there for economic development and growth for everyone.”
According to the most recent (2021) census, the Canadian Indigenous population is now estimated at 1.8 million, growing at twice the rate of non-Indigenous Canadians¹. We believe that it is critical that companies engage with Indigenous people to learn how to provide products and services, employment and business opportunities to this expanding market. According to Joel, we must all focus on building a stronger and more resilient future.
At GardaWorld, we foster a culture of respect and integration by developing policies to support the success of each of our employees. We invite those of every cultural background, new immigrants, and women and men of all ages, to join our team. As an equal opportunity employer, diversity is not only one of our core beliefs, but it is our reality.
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