SOCIAL

Investing in the community, our people and our partnerships

Tamarack strives to understand stakeholder risks and opportunities, going above and beyond to actively engage in open dialogue with all groups affected by our business and operations. We seek to establish productive engagement balanced with accountability that underpins the process of informed decision-making for all stakeholders.

Diverse team with masks and orange shirts on looking into camera

Two men wearing Native American headdresses and speaking into a microphone

Indigenous Partnerships

Tamarack has a long history of working alongside First Nations’ communities with a focus on education and entrepreneurship. We believe Respect, Friendship and Trust are the key components to the successful business partnership between Tamarack Valley and the Blood Tribe of Southern Alberta. Our CEO, Brian Schmidt, was appointed an Honorary Chief of the Blood Tribe in 2018 and serves as an advisor to multiple Indigenous organizations. He is a volunteer teacher of oil and gas courses aimed at helping First Nations realize optimal value from the resources on their lands.

Chief Roy Fox (left) with Brian Schmidt (right)

“We not only respect the rights of our Indigenous stakeholders, we engage them as valued, active partners to generate mutual benefit and enable a better quality of life.”

Brian Schmidt (Aakaikkitstaki)
President, CEO & Director

Preserving Indigenous culture

Tamarack is committed to helping preserve the Indigenous culture. In partnership with CIBC, Dundee Capital, Macquarie Capital, National Bank Financial and Peters and Co, Tamarack has sponsored the production of three films:

Issakimma – The Forgotten One

This drama follows a young boy on a journey where he discovers the importance of language, sacred sites and courage from the tribe’s wise Elders. All in an effort to ensure the Blackfoot culture will never be forgotten.

WATCH FILM

Itsiiyisi – The Vision Quest

The film is about a young man choosing his path in life after high school. The goal of producing this film was to instill pride in the youth and recognize the benefits of cultural preservation.

WATCH FILM

Iitaapiskoo – Our Sacred Reminders

This film is a gift to the Blood Tribe. The purpose of the film was to record and preserve the tribe’s historical sacred sites, along with Elders who told traditional stories, as a mechanism to help young people recognize and take pride in their spiritual ways.

WATCH FILM

Community IMPACT

For Tamarack, engagement goes far beyond required community consultations. We believe that better results can be achieved through meaningful partnerships and collaboration, and that our best opportunity to be responsible community members is through regular and active engagement. Tamarack seeks to evaluate and understand ways that it can be an active contributor, which includes providing:

Economic benefit

Economic benefit for local communities through job creation, and the contracting of local service providers

Community support

Support for local communities including contributions to local youth sporting teams, and events, drug and alcohol awareness campaigns, high school scholarships, community projects and charitable organizations

Community participation

Partnership through joint initiatives, including crime watch groups and open houses

Christmas Program

Annual employee-driven Christmas program to support families with special needs

Two men talking in front of a geology display

OUR PEOPLE

At Tamarack, we believe that investing in our human resources is equally critical as investing in our natural resources. We strive to:

prioritise Inclusion

Ensure inclusion through diverse representation on internal committees, mentorship programs and staff lead initiatives such as our lunch and learn series

Support our team during covid-19

Provide peace of mind to employees during the COVID-19 pandemic by creating thorough safety policies with self-screening protocols, adapting work-from-home capabilities, keeping all staff working full time, and offering mental health counseling