Announcing a New Indigenous Partnership
We are excited to announce our newest indigenous partnership, a majority aboriginal-owned joint venture between Challenger Geomatics Ltd. and Chief Isaac Inc. The new joint venture was officially announced on November 20th, 2017 during a partnership-themed breakfast on the sidelines of the Yukon Geoscience Conference in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory.
The Chief Isaac Group of Companies is an indigenous-owned diversified services company that operates the business interests of and creates sustainable wealth for the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in (translated as ‘people of the river’), a self-governing Yukon First Nation located in Dawson City. The Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in has a citizenship of roughly 1,100, and includes descendants of the Hän-speaking people, who have lived along the Yukon River for millennia.
Norman Eady, Co-Chair of Chief Isaac Inc., is optimistic about the new partnership: “We recognize that Challenger has a long-term presence in the Yukon. Both of our companies are interested in growing the business in Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Traditional Territory and throughout the North. Chief Isaac is pleased that Challenger reached out to us, and we are very optimistic about this agreement and about development in the Dawson City area in the coming years.”
Dave Thomson, Challenger’s President, shares Norman’s optimism for the joint venture: “Our new partnership with Chief Isaac is a great step forward in Challenger’s continuing efforts to develop meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships with Indigenous Peoples.”
The new partnership positions both Chief Isaac and Challenger to increasingly benefit by becoming the surveyor of choice for current and upcoming mining and infrastructure projects within the Yukon’s White Gold district, which is one of Canada’s most active areas for mining exploration and development.
Challenger’s clients in the region also reacted positively to the announcement. On hand at the breakfast event for the announcement, Buddy Crill, Mine Manager at Goldcorp’s Coffee Creek project said: “We are pleased to see Challenger Geomatics is partnering with Chief Isaac, thus creating an opportunity for the development of capacity and business opportunities that will benefit Chief Isaac and the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in for many years to come.”
Through our joint venture, we look forward to providing survey, mapping and geomatics services to existing and new clients in Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in traditional territory. For further information and inquiries, please contact Joe Iles, Indigenous Relations Lead with Challenger by phone at 867-668-6940 or by email at jiles(\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\//////////////////@&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&%%%%%%%%% )challengergeomatics.com.
Find out more about Chief Isaac Inc. here: http://chiefisaacgroup.ca/
Find out more about the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in here: http://www.trondek.ca/
