In 2017, we purchased about $11.6 billion of goods and services from about 19,000 suppliers. Of this total, we spent about 44 percent with Canadian suppliers, 56 percent with U.S. suppliers and less than one percent with European, Asian, Australian and South American suppliers.
In 2017, we purchased about $11.6 billion of goods and services from about 19,000 suppliers. Of this total, we spent about 44 percent with Canadian suppliers, 56 percent with U.S. suppliers and less than one percent with European, Asian, Australian and South American suppliers.
Human trafficking is modern-day slavery, a crime that occurs whenever people are bought or sold for forced labor or sexual exploitation. It is more than a North American problem; the International Labour Organization estimates that globally, about 25 million people are victims of trafficking.
Enbridge recognizes that human trafficking is a real and important problem, and we stand strongly against this exploitation. To do our part to fight human trafficking, Enbridge proactively informs its employees, contractors and suppliers of the resources available that describe trafficking behaviors to watch for and contact phone numbers to report these behaviors, if observed. For example, the advocacy organization, Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT), provides an educational video, downloadable cards and phone numbers to help truck drivers in North America combat human trafficking.
Our Supply Chain Management team is working within our transportation and logistics network to advance TAT training. At our Gas Transmission & Midstream business unit, 56 percent of our carriers are now TAT trained, and in 2018, we are looking to train up to 75 percent of our carriers. Also in 2018, SCM will roll out the TAT training at our Liquids Pipeline warehouses.
Enbridge has also raised awareness on human trafficking for our employees by hosting events with guest speakers. In 2017, the Freedom Drivers Project visited the Houston office as a part of an event. This traveling exhibit is designed to help educate the public about the realities of human trafficking and what the trucking industry is doing to combat it.
We are planning to replicate these activities in other regions in our operational footprint in 2018.
As everyone who lives in a cold climate well knows, it’s imperative to prepare your home for the onslaught of winter so that you and your family stay safe and warm.
As Canada's largest natural gas distributor, Enbridge also knows that for some of our customers, finding the money needed to weatherize their home can be a challenge. In response, our Union Gas utility in Ontario developed their Home Weatherization Program (HWP) to provide their low-income customers living in older, single-family homes with a range of services free of charge—everything from energy audits and water-saving measures, to a programmable thermostat, a carbon-monoxide detector and insulation installation.
In 2016, Union Gas expanded the program to cover 20 Indigenous communities in their franchise area over the next four years. They also modified the program to provide a smoke alarm for every home in these communities—regardless of whether or not they are a Union Gas customer—because many Indigenous homes go without this basic life-saving tool and because safety is at the forefront of everything we do at Enbridge.
In 2017, year one of the program, Union Gas aimed to deliver the HWP to four Indigenous communities in Ontario—Garden River First Nation (Sault Ste. Marie); Batchewana First Nation (Sault Ste. Marie); Nipissing First Nation (North Bay); and Mississauga First Nation (Blind River). Nearly all of these communities participated in the program’s application process, a level that is higher than off-reserve participation. Overall, we found in the initial energy assessments that more homes than expected were weather tight, and as a result we did not weatherize as many homes as we had planned. Despite this, these communities provided positive feedback about the program.
Also in 2017, Enbridge’s Supply Chain Management team identified an opportunity to add a qualified and competitive Indigenous business to the HWP roster of contractors—First Nations Engineering Services Ltd. (FNESL)—which is now contributing its technical expertise, as well as meeting the program’s expectations for safety and customer service.
In 2018, we plan to advance the program to four more Indigenous communities: Mohawks at the Bay of Quinte First Nation (Belleville); Long Lake #58 First Nation (Longlac); Ginoogaming First Nation (Longlac); and Atikameksheng Anishnawbek First Nation (Sudbury).
Also starting in 2018, we now have the opportunity to co-deliver the program for Indigenous communities with Hydro One, Canada’s largest electricity transmission and distribution service provider, because both Union Gas’s HWP and Hydro One’s Aboriginal Conservation Program share FNESL as our delivery agent. In early 2018, at the Mohawks at the Bay of Quinte First Nation, we launched a pilot program for the combined delivery approach, which benefits customers by reducing the number of home visits, as well as wait times for Union Gas’s and Hydro One’s respective programs.
By expanding their Home Weatherization Program to serve Indigenous communities, Union Gas has enhanced their relationships with our Indigenous partners, improved collaboration through interaction with Chiefs and Councils, and enhanced our outreach to these communities overall. And with FNESL on board, we have also rounded out the professional experience within our contractor base as we continue to deliver the energy that people need and want.
Indigenous socio-economic participation in our projects is a priority for Enbridge. We have long recognized that hiring Indigenous businesses and contractors supports local employment, gives us the opportunity to understand available services and talent, and helps us build trust and relationships.
As part of these efforts, we also work closely with companies in our supply chain to help us expand opportunities for Indigenous socio-economic participation.
In 2017, Enbridge began work to replace and reroute a 3,500-foot (1,067-meter) section of our existing Line 4 around the northern edge of Nushka Lake near Bena, Minnesota. The project was entirely within Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe tribal lands, so Enbridge contacted tribal officials to first discuss the project and request permitting. At the same time, Enbridge’s SCM Indigenous Engagement team worked with the Leech Lake band’s Tribal Employment Rights Ordinance (TERO) Director to ensure we followed all tribal TERO rules, which require that all employers who are engaged in business or have a construction project within tribal lands give preference to qualified tribal members and pay a certain percentage of construction costs to the tribe’s training program.
As a result, 16 band members worked during the project, providing direct economic impact to Leech Lake communities, plus giving opportunities to tribal members for work experience and union membership. In addition, the Line 4 project had the support of the tribal government.
“Our efforts with the Leech Lake band demonstrate that engaging with tribal communities early and continuously regarding projects and economic development is a model for success,” says Enbridge’s Gail Wahlberg, Specialist, Indigenous Engagement. “The positive relationships that this project has fostered between the Leech Lake band and Enbridge have proven to be invaluable. I couldn’t be more proud of our team’s work executing the project!”
An important part of that team was one of our major suppliers in Minnesota—United Piping Inc. (UPI), an oil and gas industry general contractor headquartered in Duluth. We spoke with UPI’s Mel Olson, President, about the action his company is taking to support Indigenous economic participation.
1) How has UPI worked with Enbridge to advance our commitment to building strong relationships with Indigenous communities?
UPI has been working to create relationships with Indigenous communities in a number of ways. We’ve partnered with our neighbors from the Fond du Lac and Leech Lake Ojibwe tribal communities to conduct hands-on courses in pipeline construction techniques and safety. Twenty-five tribal members gathered at UPI’s corporate office in 2017 for two separate, week-long training events. Our objective was to build relationships between our UPI employees and the tribal communities in our area and to provide the basic skills needed to work on pipeline construction jobs. The training covered the basics of safety, line location, excavation, blasting, coating, painting, and backfilling and restoration, and drew on our experience and knowledge to provide the best possible teaching and experience for our participants.
We also held an extensive week long new-hire training with the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe in November 2017 in preparation for Enbridge’s Line 4 Nushka Lake project. Fifteen people received orientation, operator qualifications for the project, and hands-on equipment safety training. These events were a first for UPI but not the last, and their success will pave the way for more initiatives and training events that help UPI reach its broader community. We have built relationships with the Leech Lake TERO office and others and will continue to seek out ways to strengthen UPI’s and Enbridge’s commitment to building strong relationships with Indigenous communities.
2) What benefits did UPI realize from the Nushka project?
We were able to provide work for 150 UPI employees on this project. Winter pipeline work provides steady employment for many, and we were thrilled that we could keep these folks working when they may otherwise not be. The man hours spent on this project have surpassed 96,250 hours. We had the opportunity to work with Fond Du Lac Pipeline Services for one aspect of the project, and they did an outstanding job. We also had the opportunity to train and employ new Indigenous union employees, which could be an asset to us in the future. As a result of the Indigenous employment, we now have a larger pool of qualified construction professionals to help us achieve success on future projects.
3) Is there anything else you want to tell us about how our companies work together to advance mutual Indigenous engagement goals?
One of UPI’s top priorities for 2018 is to increase the percentage of Indigenous people available to the pipeline construction industry. In order to meet our goals, we established a formal training program, and we support Enbridge in their engagement goals by supporting tribal trades development initiatives. We look forward to continuing to work with Enbridge to advance our mutual Indigenous engagement goals.