First Nations Solid Waste Management in - Stories of Stewardship

Pikogan October 24, 2019 TSAG – a quick overview • (AB) Technical Services Advisory Group Inc. • Non-profit corporation started in 1998 • Mandated by Chiefs of Alberta Steering Committee • Steering Committee and Board of Directors from Nations in Treaties 6, 7 and 8 in Alberta Environmental Management

Asset Condition Reporting Circuit Rider System Training Data Source Program Management Water LOUIS Youth Protection TSAG Programs Plans

Information Departments SUSTAINABLECOMMUNITIES Technology • Facilitation & Fire Engagement Prevention • Technical Engineering Support • Integrated SWM Planning • Youth Outreach SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES Team

Pam Haggarty Aaron Campbell Tom Kinderwater Alex Laforce Team Lead Engineer In Training Engineering Support Youth Outreach How many FN communities in Alberta?

3 Treaty Areas

46 Bands

140 Reserves

Blackfoot; ; ; ; Sarcee; and Stoney (Nakoda Sioux) The Current State of Waste

• What does solid waste management On- Reserve in Alberta looks like right now?

The Good The Bad The Current State of Waste

The Good The Bad The Current State of Waste

The Good The Bad SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES Program Overview

Communications and Education

• School Outreach Program • Co-development of Community-specific information • Operator Training • Digital Templates and Fact Sheets

System Review

• Service Agreement Review • Community-based Decision Making • Diversion Support • Measuring and Monitoring Holistic Approach

Infrastructure Project Support

• Project Coordination Support Environmental Social Economic • Design and Operations Review • Progress and Completion Support • Dumpsite Clean-up Planning and Support System • Waste Collections Support Clean and Informed and efficiencies • Site Operations Review and Planning Healthy Engaged through • Improving Recycling Participation Communities Membership maximization of resources Some of our Program Partners Green Jobs Partnership SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES Youth and Community Engagement

• Classroom presentations • Support for school-based diversion programming (bottle recycling, paper recycling, etc.) • Event management • Sustainability leadership SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES Youth and Community Engagement

Atikameg School Ta-otha School White Fish First Nation Big Horn First Nation

Sturgeon Lake Community Garden Community or School Gardens

Whitefish Lake First Nation Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation

Big Horn Stoney Nation

TsuuT’ina Nation SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES Zero Heroes

FN Technical Services Advisory Group partnered with DreamRider Productions to facilitate creation of Indigenous content for their waste reduction Planet Protector Academy: Zero Heroes, in consultation with elders and culture keepers of the . Zero Heroes Schools Mikisew Cree Tall Cree

Whitefish Lake Sturgeon Lake

Paul Enoch

Pigeon Lake School

Big Horn Stoney Nation Eden Valley SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES Community Clean Up

Community Capacity using community equipment, operators, resources

Youth Leadership Waste management training, safety training, GIS mapping

Elder-led traditional plant and berry identification Community Clean Ups

Saddle Lake Paul Enoch Montana Big Horn

Stoney Nakoda Siksika

Eden Valley SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES Operator Training Building Community Capacity Through competency-based classroom and hands-on training.

• Asbestos Waste Management and Handling • Coaching and Mentoring—coming soon • Composting for Small Communities • Job Hazard Analysis • Landfill Basics • Safety for Solid Waste Management Sites • Site Operations and Maintenance • Refrigerant Recovery—coming soon • Transfer Station Basics • Waste Auditing—coming soon

Household Hazardous Waste 2 day course TSAG SWM Training series:

Days of 2 . Transfer Station Basics Training 2 . Transfer Station Operations and Maintenance 2 . Household Hazardous Waste Management 2 . Refrigerant Recovery 1 . Risk Management and Job Hazard Analysis 1 . Solid Waste Site Safety 2 . Composting 2 . Landfill Basics 1 . Asbestos Waste Awareness 2 . Coaching and Mentoring for Operators 1 . Waste Characterization Partnerships

Trainees for Tribal Chiefs Employment and Training Program

6 month program 1 week in classroom 3 weeks with employer at landfill or transfer station

• 12 started • 8 completed • 4 employed Smith’s Landing Enoch Dene Tha Frog Lake Beaver Kehewin Driftpile Heart Lake Duncan’s Louis Bull Horse Lake Montana Tall Cree O’Chiese Paul Kapawe’no Saddle Lake Little Red River Samson Loon River Sunchild Lubicon Whitefish Lake Sturgeon Lake Piikani Sucker Creek Siksika Swan River Stoney Communities Whitefish TsuuT’ina that have (Atikameg) participated in Alexander Beaver Lake SWM Training Cold Lake since 2017 Partnerships City of Edmonton Eco-Stations

• TSAG is registered as a training • 7 Course participants have partner for the been a part of the mentorship program • Participants spend a full day Ozone Depletion Sustances - working with Edmonton Eco certification Station staff • Once the operators are The course developed with the comfortable TSAG will assist City of Edmonton combined with the community to find funding this training provides a well for a complete recovery system. rounded course. SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES Refrigerant Recovery

“There is no substitute for hands- Peer mentorship on training. This is a task that only Coronation Eco gets easier the more you do it. If I Station and can teach someone how to do Operators something, then I know I have mastered the skill myself.” Bobby CFC Specialist Ambleside Eco-Station City of Edmonton Nations with Certified Operators and Equipment*

Whitefish Lake First Nation* Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation*

Atikameg First Louis Bull First Nation* Nation* Onsite Support

Participating Communities were able to train with the same equipment that was purchased

TSAG can support operators onsite to ensure the process is done correctly Building Capacity – local experts

Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation – Community Engagement

Sunchild First Nation – New Transfer Station Grand Opening Case study: Transfer Station Management

Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation • New transfer station • Began management planning and community engagement before opening • Strong relationship with municipal neighbours

• TS staff promote a safe work environment and teach their members how to use the TS • Operators mentor and train operators from other FNs Partnerships

The Recycling Council of Ontario is the only training program in that has some standardized processes. Waste Auditing is not standardized in Canada or TSAG partnered with RCO and 4 North American staff members were certificed

TSAG shares this knowledge with communities by collaboratively conducting waste audits with community members SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES Case study: Waste Audit

Sorted and weighed 2.5 days worth of garbage from the school

• Identified potential for reduction in Styrofoam plates and single serving snacks. • Identified composting potential from food waste and paper towel. • Identified recycling potential for paper and plastics.

Employed and trained summer students and environmental coordinator. Waste Characterization

Why do we care what’s in our waste? Why should we sort and weigh it all? 1. Calculating diversion potential for planning, grants, and proposals 2. Sizing composting and recycling facilities 3. Tracking progress, diversion, capture, and contamination rates 4. Providing proof of diversion for reporting purposes Eco Action Climate Change Grant

Elders saw opportunity to reconnect with the land Band Admin Source Water School 1 Protection Plan School 2 Stewards of the Community Hall land connect to Food Bank the land and each other Community Core Buildings Garden

Divert organics, make compost, City of feed community garden Calgary Waste Organics Organics/Food Management Ban Waste Potential Composting Project Phases in Action Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Phase 5 January January – March – April – October 2019 April September September 2019 – 2019 2019 2019 March 2020

Compost Start Capture Food Learn from our First Waste Technology Community Waste – begin to neigbours Audit Decision Making Garden compost With audit data SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

Facilitate Support conversations with Diversion Stewardship Regional SWM Support Program Source Water Commissions Participation Protection Plan

Supporting Ops Integrated SWM Operator Plan MTSA Support Planning Training Improvement/ Development

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Capital Feasibility Decision Design Construction Updating/ Grand Project Project Kick- Study Making On Tender for of Transfer Improving Opening Completion off SWM System Capital Station SWM System Media Blitz Projects

School and Identifying Sustainable Engineering Community Community Communities Project Support Outreach Resources Design Input Capital Project Kick-off Feasibility Study

Desk top Community Centric Decision Making

Tours of neighbouring municipal systems Design Construction 30-60-90% Inspections & Deficiency reporting Grand Opening Diversion Support Stewardship programs in Alberta

ALBERTA BEVERAGE CONTAINER RECYCLING CORPORATION Ongoing Director/Manager Support • Providing technical and operational support for the solid waste management system • Support for waste reduction initiatives • Providing contacts with peers and experts

Any Questions?

Thank you!