POLICY STATEMENT

At BLM, we respectfully acknowledge that our company was built and continues to be operated across many traditional territories and treaty areas of Indigenous Peoples.

We are grateful for the privilege of working and residing on these lands and recognize and honor their original people who have served as the traditional stewards of the land and the water that runs through it.

Working alongside Indigenous communities, BLM has made it a priority to strengthen ties, cultivate and develop mutually beneficial relationships, and create economic opportunities to work toward reconciliation.
BLM recognizes the importance of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and its guiding principles within the context of existing Canadian and U.S. law as well as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report and its calls to action.

This Policy outlines BLM’s commitment to developing respectful, sustainable, and mutually beneficial relationships with all Indigenous peoples, in line with BLM’s commitment to reconciliation, the principles of UNDRIP, and its Indigenous Vision adopted in 2013.

 

SCOPE

This Policy applies to all BLM employees (referred to as “BLM personnel”). It is expected that BLM personnel will act in accordance with the Policy when performing work for BLM across the entirety of its rail network infrastructure, land holdings, facilities, and business operations.

 

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

In all of its business activities, BLM will seek to implement its commitments to the following areas:

Cultural Awareness and Employee Engagement

BLM commits to increasing opportunities for BLM personnel to learn about and engage with Indigenous communities by:

• Providing cultural awareness courses and training on Indigenous culture, beliefs, and history as well as ways to forge healthy, respectful, and positive relationships with Indigenous peoples;
• Fostering a culture of mutual respect and understanding through direct and proactive community engagement and participation in Indigenous cultural events; and
• Providing a safe space for Indigenous and non-Indigenous BLM personnel to share, learn, and grow together through a working environment that is culturally sensitive and supportive of all personnel.

People and Employment

BLM is committed to building strong relationships with Indigenous communities and increasing Indigenous representation, retention, and promotion in BLM’s workforce by:

• Creating a safe and respectful workplace for present and future Indigenous employees;
• Working with Indigenous communities and institutions to promote Indigenous employment and deliver training opportunities;
• Supporting the hiring and training of Indigenous people at BLM through Indigenous-specific recruitment; and
• Developing and implementing fair and equitable measures to promote and provide access to career opportunities for qualified Indigenous candidates, including Indigenous youth, and to retain Indigenous employees.

Economic Reconciliation

BLM recognizes the importance of actively seeking ways to provide economic benefits to Indigenous communities where we operate, and commits to supporting reconciliation by:

• Increasing the participation of Indigenous companies in BLM’s business through direct procurement of goods and services; and
• Investing in the growth and development of Indigenous communities or companies to promote sustainable and mutually beneficial opportunities.

Community Engagement and Relationships

BLM commits to proactively engaging with and fostering respectful and mutually beneficial relationships with Indigenous communities by:

• Increasing BLM’s engagement and collaboration with Indigenous communities;
• Proactively meeting and engaging with Indigenous communities to support an open dialogue and identify opportunities to achieve shared values and outcomes; and
• Offering support for community-led initiatives, events, education, and projects through the Corporate Community Investment Program.

Environmental Stewardship and Safety

BLM recognizes the importance of the environment to the social, cultural, and economic wellbeing of Indigenous peoples and commits to protecting the environment in which it operates and to reducing its environmental impact by:

• Working with Indigenous communities to identify and protect sites and species of significant historical, spiritual or cultural importance, while protecting the confidential nature of community information;
• Involving Indigenous communities, where possible, in studies and assessments for development projects;
• Working collaboratively with Indigenous communities on infrastructure concerns and site restoration; and
• Providing first responders and their community partners with emergency response training opportunities.

Implementation and Review

The purpose of this Policy is to ensure that all BLM personnel pursue and develop sustainable, long-term relationships with Indigenous peoples in support of BLM’s business and corporate social responsibility objectives across Canada and the United States. BLM will work with BLM personnel and others to support and encourage consistency with this Policy.

In its Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan, BLM will have measurable objectives for achieving the commitments stated within the Policy.
BLM’s President and Chief Executive Officer is accountable for the effective implementation of the Policy. All BLM personnel engaged in activities under BLM’s operational control are responsible for the application of this Policy.

Review of this Policy is to be carried out by BLM’s Indigenous Relations Team on a periodic basis, not to exceed three (3) years.

Reporting

BLM is committed to providing a confidential avenue to report any instances of non-compliance with this Policy.

To that effect, the Office of the Ombudsman provides an independent, confidential, neutral, and informal avenue that offers advice to both internal and external parties and facilitates fair and equitable resolutions to concerns of any nature arising in the organization or in the community. The Ombudsman is independent and reports directly to BLM’s Board of Directors through the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee.

The various ways to contact the Office of the Ombudsman to report non-compliance with this Policy are listed below.

Email:
Telephone #:
Mail:

All requests made to the BLM Ombudsman are handled promptly and in strict confidence unless you authorize disclosure. The only exception to this confidentiality is where there appears to be imminent risk of serious harm or when there is no other reasonable option.

As a BLM employee, you are encouraged to use the appropriate internal reporting mechanism prior to contacting the Office of the Ombudsman to address an issue. Most issues should be escalated through your supervisor, your Human Resources representative, or the BLM Law Department prior to you contacting the Office of the Ombudsman.

Related Policies and Further Information

BLM’s Indigenous Relations Policy is complemented by other policies, codes, and commitments, including the following:

BLM Code of Business Conduct

• Human Rights Policy
• Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Policy
• Anti-Fraud Policy
• End User Cybersecurity Policy
• Policy to Prevent Workplace Alcohol and Drugs Problems
• Procurement Policy
• Supplier Code of Conduct