Oilsands workers go green
Iron & Earth is working to empower oil and gas workers and First Nations to create a greener, cleaner future.
For Jordan Koe, it’s clear the need to shift to renewable energy is more than an environmental issue.
Koe is a housing manager for the Tsawout First Nation on Vancouver Island. He is also a board member for Iron & Earth, a worker-led non-profit that helps fossil fuel workers, Indigenous Peoples, and other Canadian communities build and put in place greener energy solutions.
“Indigenous communities bear the cultural and economic brunt of inefficient energy systems across Canada,” says Koe.
Koe adds that Indigenous communities often pay the financial burden of inefficiency. First Nations, especially in remote locations, can pay steep energy costs and still find themselves without adequate access.
Adopting clean energy solutions like wind and solar can improve the economic reality of Indigenous families. It can also reduce energy costs.
But this shift requires using new technologies and engaging more communities across Canada. That’s where organizations like Iron & Earth come in.
Iron & Earth traces its roots to the oil price plunge in 2014. After seeing tens of thousands of oil and gas workers lose their jobs, a group of oilsands workers decided to make a change toward renewables.
Iron & Earth now works with the federal government, provincial and local governments, Indigenous communities and not-for-profit organizations across Canada. Its mission: to make sure oil and gas workers and First Nations have a seat at the table in planning for the future of Canada’s energy.
“We can build capacity by empowering workers and helping people transition to jobs in renewable energy,” says Koe.
One of its initiatives is the Community Solar Skills Training Program, which first took place in Newfoundland and Labrador in 2022. In partnership with the Nunatsiavut Government, Iron & Earth trained residents on installing wind and solar systems.
Participants had five days of classroom instruction, followed by five days of hands-on training. The program served as an introduction to a potential career in the clean energy sector.
“It’s important that we evolve with the technology. Even though it’s an introductory training program, it gives exposure to people along the coast,” says Jamie Hewlett, regional energy coordinator with the Nunatsiavut Government. “It’s giving people the opportunity to learn and see for themselves that pursuing solar is a potential career option.”
The program ran in Rigolet, the southernmost officially recognized Inuit community in the world. The community currently uses diesel as its main source of energy. Solar power will allow the community to use a different source of power.
“It’s very important to have this program and this technology because, in our case, we are living in an isolated community. This allows us to build our energy sovereignty,” says Hewlett.
Hewlett adds that better energy systems are needed to improve air quality, open up jobs for the future and help the community evolve.
When energy equipment is put in place, it gives the community a sense of ownership and an understanding of how to maintain it. The community holds that knowledge and can be held accountable to take care of themselves, according to Hewlett.
For workers interested in learning more about moving to a career in renewables, Iron & Earth also offers a mentorship program. This free program gives valuable resources to start or further a career in the clean energy sector.
The program is flexible and customizable to suit the needs of each individual. People can book sessions with experienced mentors in the energy sector to gain knowledge about transitioning to a new career.
“We assist with things like registration processes, funding opportunities, and focusing on getting people the experience they need to pursue the field they want to work in,” says Koe.
The program is available through the Climate Career Portal, which connects oil and gas and Indigenous workers with job opportunities in the net-zero economy. The tool is easy to use and helps people search for clean energy sector job opportunities.
People can also access the Climate Career Blueprint through the portal. The interactive tool helps workers visualize and map out a transition to a net-zero career.
“Their involvement will help build on their skills and keep projects in the community,” says Hewlett.
Keean Nembhard is the press secretary for the Office of the Minister of Natural Resources.
He says Indigenous-owned clean-energy projects can be a significant driver for sustainable jobs. They can also lead to longterm economic opportunities for communities across Canada.
“Advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, including through economic reconciliation, is critical to Canada achieving its net-zero transition,” says Nembhard. “It’s equally important to ensure this is done in an equitable, inclusive and sustainable way.”
Iron & Earth is working to lead the charge on this transition. Koe says the organization will continue to find new ways to engage communities, finding new ways to help workers train for the future.