As a good neighbor, CN is fostering vibrant relationships with Indigenous communities.

Our goal is to proactively engage with the various Indigenous communities, increasing our community involvement and learning more about the communities near our network. One way of doing so is through our sponsorships and donations.

In a typical year, CN participates in many events with Indigenous communities to help build stronger relationships while promoting available jobs and our commitment to diversity and inclusion. The following are a few examples:

Banff Centre for the Arts. CN scholarships reduce financial barriers for at least six people accepted into one of the Centre’s Indigenous Leadership Management programs, providing a direct, positive impact on diversity in the community.

CN contributed to Western University’s Western Engineering Outreach Program’s Indigenous Leaders in Training Project to help teach Indigenous youth in grades 7 to 12 how to be leaders in their communities.

Working with various Indigenous communities and institutions helps promote CN as an employer of choice. CN has established solid partnerships with Indigenous communities and associations to inform them of possible career opportunities and to fill positions within CN with qualified candidates.

Partnerships and Events

CN continues to participate in many events with Indigenous communities to help build stronger relationships while promoting available jobs and our commitment to diversity and inclusion. Examples of events in 2022 include:

• Two-day Miinosewin conference in Winnipeg hosted by AMIK and Workplace Strategies for Mental Health, to create an action plan for Indigenous retention.
• Outreach with Indspire bursary recipients to share details about our early career programs.
• File Hills Qu'appelle Tribal Council (FHQTC) in Fort Qu’appelle, SK. FHQTC consists of 11 First Nations in the Treaty 4 Territory and represents over 15,000 First Nations citizens both on and off reserve. CN sponsored FHQTC’s Indigenous HR Strategy and is an investor in FHQTC’s Tokata HR Solutions to develop a three-year Indigenous recruitment/retention strategy.

Indigenous Youth

CN continues to support the development and access to jobs for Indigenous youth across our network. In 2022, CN continued its outreach and support of its key partners.

• AMIK, an organization that offers professional Indigenous engagement services, to support our recruitment activities. AMIK helps candidates to prepare for interviews and ensures they understand the job requirements. The partnership with AMIK helps CN lay the foundation for long-term success for the candidates we hire.
  
  In 2022, we focused on conductor recruitment, an in-demand job at CN, and hired three AMIK candidates.
  
  With the support of AMIK, CN held a one-day conference in partnership with the Cowessess First Nation. This was the beginning of a relationship we are continuing in 2023 to recruit Indigenous talent in Southeastern Saskatchewan.

• CN ran five national campaigns with Indigenous Link, an Indigenous-owned and led sourcing firm, in addition to having all our jobs appear on their job board.
• Indspire, a national Indigenous charity that invests in the education of Indigenous youth, to recruit Indigenous youth.

Indigenous Recruiting Events

• CN sponsored and attended the Indspire Awards (May 12) and Indspire’s National Gathering (November 23-25), supporting Indigenous education.
• CN secured an advertorial in 2022 and 2023 in the National Post promoting Indigenous hiring and recruitment and featuring Indigenous employees.
• CN ran radio ads specifically encouraging Indigenous people to apply for available jobs.

CN attended, and in some cases sponsored, several job fairs aimed at Indigenous recruitment:

• Queen’s University Networking Event for Indigenous Students and Alumni
• Two Inclusivity Indigenous Virtual Job Fairs
• Manitoba First Nations Virtual Career Fair
• University of Alberta - First Peoples' House: Lunch & Learn with CN
• McGill Pow Wow

Internship Program

CN continues to offer best-in-class students the opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge through hands-on experience in CN’s Internship Program.

Percentage of Indigenous employees hired at CN

*Based on self-identification.

CN believes that increasing opportunities for employees to learn about and engage with Indigenous communities strengthens relationships.

Since 2014, CN provides awareness training on Indigenous culture, beliefs and history. In June 2019, this training became mandatory for all management employees working in Canada. This course is also part of CN’s unionized new hire program at the National Training Centre in Winnipeg, MB. The interactive training provides insight on CN’s Indigenous Vision and Strategy and how to support it; Indigenous culture and history; and ways to forge healthy, respectful and positive relationships with Indigenous peoples.

Since the program was launched, more than 24,000 employees, mainly in Canada, have completed the training. Currently, that represents 80% of active employees in Canada.

CN’s Indigenous Employee Resource Group (ERG) is a safe space for Indigenous and non-Indigenous employees to share, learn, and grow together around the unique recognitions, relationships, and histories of Indigenous peoples. The ERG reaches out to employees and Indigenous communities through virtual educational seminars and fundraising activities.

CN also holds events throughout the year. Examples in 2022 include:

• Indigenous Learning Program hosted by Rise Consulting to increase employee awareness of Indigenous rights and reconciliation.
• Focus group with Indigenous employees to better understand how CN’s Indigenous workforce experiences the Company.

To keep the momentum going, CN employees are invited to participate in local and nationally sponsored events such as:

National Indigenous Peoples Day

In 2022 on National Indigenous Peoples Day, CN’s Indigenous ERG invited employees to join an enriching learning experience. The ERG hosted both a virtual and live event with Running Thunder Drumming and Dancing at Walker Yard in Edmonton, AB. In addition, the ERG hosted “TED-Talk Circles”, a learning session on important Indigenous topics. The focus was on how to be a non-Indigenous ally and recognizing implicit bias against Indigenous peoples.

On June 20, 2023, the Indigenous ERG hosted a live-streamed event at CN headquarters in Montreal to celebrate local First Nation and Inuit culture through traditional expressions of song, dance, storytelling, and food. Special guests included a Mohawk Elder who offered a blessing for the event, a Mi’kmaw dancer and singer and Inuit throat singers and drummer. CN President and CEO, Tracy Robinson, addressed the audience and a healing poem written by S&C Maintainer Terry Ladue called “An Enormous Cost” was read by emcee Don Barnaby after a round dance, a slow-moving, circular dance that is part of a healing ceremony. The event ended with an honour song.

CN employees also took part in National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations across the country in Surrey, BC, Calgary, AB, Edmonton, AB, Ottawa, ON, Chippewas of Rama First Nation near Orillia, ON, and at Montreal’s Botanical Garden.

To share in the rich culture of our Indigenous colleagues and neighbours, CN celebrated National Indigenous Peoples Day with a live-streamed event at our Montreal headquarters featuring ABMi’kmaw dancer, signer and emcee Don Barnaby (above).

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

On National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, CN employees acknowledge and humbly reflect on the experiences of Indigenous people. We pay tribute to the survivors of residential schools as we imagine the possibilities in the shared future we can create together.

CN's Indigenous Relations and Supply Management groups have put in place a strategy to identify procurement opportunities, develop business relationships with Indigenous communities, and foster collaboration between these communities, clients and partners.

Indigenous Business Partners

CN has an Indigenous procurement strategy in place that aims to establish and develop business relationships with Indigenous communities and promote economic benefit within the communities in which CN operates. In 2018, CN became a “Champion of Indigenous Sourcing,” an initiative launched by the CCAB, for its commitment to involve more Indigenous businesses in CN calls for proposals.

One of the ways we aim to uphold this recognition is through engaging meaningfully with Indigenous businesses and embedding Indigenous participation within procurement activities conducted by CN and our contractors.

CN sponsored the British Columbia Achievement Foundation’s 2022 Indigenous Business Award (IBA) Celebration, which honoured excellence and focused on the successes of Indigenous businesses and entrepreneurs. The IBA program offers recipients and their supporters an authentic space to showcase their achievements, build bridges between BC’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous economies, and celebrate success, diversity and inclusion.

Indigenous Participation

At CN, we recognize different forms of Indigenous inclusion within procurement activities. This includes participation such as:

Ownership

• At least 51% owned, controlled, and actively managed by Indigenous peoples

Joint Ventures or Partnerships

• Consisting of minimum 1 supplier with Indigenous ownership

Designated Indigenous Businesses

• An Indigenous community may be invited to designate, in writing, its preferred businesses for specified goods and services (i.e., Supplier that partners with an Indigenous community to bring economic benefit to that community. For example: program for inclusion of Indigenous employees)

Subcontracting

• A CN supplier that subcontracts part of the work to Indigenous businesses

Indigenous Procurement Principles

To showcase how we embed Indigenous participation within the procurement process, we have defined six guiding principles for suppliers, contractors, and subcontractors of CN:

1. CN’s qualifications, safety and performance standards must be met.
2. Commercial offer must be market competitive.
3. Subcontracting opportunities should be given to businesses with Indigenous participation.
4. If an Indigenous community has a Designated List of Suppliers, they must confirm such in writing.
5. When bidding on an award/project, Proponents will be evaluated on their level of effort in engaging and incorporating Indigenous participation as part of their services, whether through direct hiring, partnership, or sub-contracting opportunities with Indigenous businesses.
6. Reports and recurrent discussions will take place to monitor Indigenous inclusion activities.

Resources

We encourage Indigenous businesses or businesses with Indigenous participation who desire to be added to our suppliers' list to get in touch with our Procurement and Supply Management department

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