CN promises change as it rolls out Indigenous relations policy

Canadian National Railway Co. has released a new Indigenous relations policy for the railway, months after its advisory council of prominent Indigenous leaders resigned en masse.

The policy includes cultural awareness and employee engagement, people and employment, community engagement, economic reconciliation and environmental stewardship and safety.

“CN is deeply committed to reconciliation and continuing to work collaboratively alongside Indigenous communities across our network,” CN chief legal officer Olivier Chouc said in a release. “By acknowledging our past and embracing our responsibilities, we are laying a stronger foundation to continue to develop respectful, sustainable, and mutually beneficial relationships with Indigenous Peoples.”

The council resigned at the end of last year after its co-chairs said the company failed to acknowledge past wrongs and follow its recommendations for reconciliation.

The new policy follows CN'S acknowledgment of the historical role railways played in colonial policies, published in December on the heels of the council's mass resignation.

Melanie Allaire, CN'S head of Indigenous relations, said the company is developing its first Reconciliation Action Plan to outline specific and measurable initiatives for CN to track its progress. The plan will be announced later this year. “This new policy is just one piece of the comprehensive work being undertaken at CN to build strong and meaningful relationships with Indigenous peoples,” Allaire said in a statement.