Cree Construction blames campaigns against more development in the territory for low Cree employment and the company’s bottom line in this year’s annual CreeCo. report.
“Cree opposition to new projects has had major impacts on Cree jobs and the results of the company,” says the report. Grand Chief Matthew Coon-Come responded to the statement by calling it “a gratuitous slap in the face of the Cree people who collectively decided to oppose the Great Whale River and Nottaway-Broadback-Ruperts Projects.”
Coon-Come’s comments came in a scathing letter sent to the board of directors of CreeCo. (Cree Regional Economic Enterprises Co.), the holding company for Cree Construction Company (Quebec) Ltd. A copy of the letter, dated October 5, was obtained by The Nation.
“The economic development of the Crees must be done in a very special way,” Coon-Come wrote. He also noted Cree Construction’s revenues actually increased by 25 per cent since the previous year, to nearly $58 million. Coon-Come said that Cree Construction hasn’t devoted enough attention to creating jobs for Cree people, improving living standards for Crees or fostering the development of Cree communities.
Jean-Pierre Motard, assistant director-general of Cree Construction, refused to comment on Coon-Come’s letter. He referred questions to Steven Bearskin, the company’s president, but Bearskin did not return repeated calls. Motard said Cree Construction employs 300 to 350 full-time workers during the peak season, but wouldn’t say how many are Cree.
A list of employees of the company obtained by The Nation names 357 workers, most of them employed on a seasonal basis. Of these, 154 are Cree. The list names 28 people working in the company’s head office. Only one of them is Cree, Steven Bearskin himself.
The Grand Chief, who sits on the board of CreeCo., also said in his letter that the annual reports should be more straightforward – revealing not only the good news about the company, but the bad news as well. “We all know Cree Construction projects sometimes cause damage to other Cree rights and activities,” said Coon-Come. He also questioned whether problems can be resolved “if the annual reports do not make efforts to report on some of the problems as well.”
The letter also suggested that Cree Construction’s head office should be moved from St-Laurent, a Montreal suburb, to a Cree community.
