Our Commitment to Sustainability and Shared Success with Indigenous Peoples

Accountability ties a dedicated commitment to achieving results. At Mercer Peace River, we are committed to mutually beneficial relationships with Indigenous peoples, growing in our accountability to this commitment through our Sustainable Purchasing Policy, our Indigenous Relations Policy, and by joining the Canadian Council of Aboriginal Business (CCAB) – Progressive Aboriginal Relations (PAR) certification program. 

Since time immemorial, forests have remained central to the lives of Indigenous peoples and communities – culturally, spiritually, and economically. Mercer’s operations and facilities in Western Canada are situated on the traditional territories of many Indigenous communities and consultations with these communities have proven that environmental sustainability and economic success are not mutually exclusive notions; rather, they go hand-in-hand. Indigenous communities want to work with Mercer and other industry proponents to achieve a balance of these priorities, to ensure that not only are we focused on environmental integrity but also on opportunities to support the social and economic goals of their communities. 

Internal Actions with Mercer Peace River

With many well-defined processes in place at Mercer Peace River to work with Indigenous peoples on the environmental sustainability and protection of Indigenous rights on the landbase, we are also focused on building internal processes to ensure that we are always improving our inclusion of Indigenous peoples in the economic opportunities associated with our operations – creating shared success as well as a socially and culturally vibrant, inclusive workplace and community. 

Both Mercer’s Indigenous Relations Policy and Sustainable Purchasing Policy each emphasize the importance of inclusion and participation of Indigenous peoples, communities and businesses in the economic opportunities associated with our operations.

Program Participation for Better Partnerships

While the policies, rooted in our values, set our collective compass on the journey to shared success, the CCAB PAR  process provides an effective roadmap for our implementation journey, offering a well-recognized measure of assurance that we are achieving positive results and continuous improvement. 

The CCAB PAR Program is a certification framework that confirms corporate performance on these priorities at the Bronze, Silver, or Gold level – signalling and verifying that they are:

• good business partners;
• great places to work; and
• committed to prosperity in Indigenous communities.

Through this program, we intend to hold ourselves accountable by setting targets and undergoing regular third-party verification, auditing, and feedback on our performance in the following key areas: 

• Leadership Actions
• Employment
• Business Development
• Community Relationships (investment/engagement)

“With these policies and the PAR certification program, we will build on our strengths and seek areas for improvement. We recognize that by forming mutually beneficial relationships our work is enhanced. Mercer is fortunate to be able to learn from the knowledge, wisdom, and skills the Indigenous communities and peoples share – through these relationships we will enhance our sustainability.”
-Shawn Elliott, Mill Manager, Mercer Peace River

The CCAB PAR program, when used in tandem with our policies, processes, and values, will provide Mercer and our Indigenous community partners with a solid, shared foundation for environmental integrity, economic health, and social vibrancy for generations to come.