First Nations Solid Waste Management in Alberta - Stories of Stewardship
Pikogan October 24, 2019 TSAG – a quick overview • First Nations (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; Cree; Chipewyan; Dene; 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 Enoch Cree Nation. 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 Woodland Cree 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 Louis Bull Tribe 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* Montana First 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 Canada 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!